Nats take the time to visit Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

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In this edition, reporter Robert Falkoff is pinch-hitting to contribute this story from Kansas City..

KANSAS CITY -- Before they played a baseball game on Friday night, a group of Nationals players experienced some baseball history.

There was an opportunity to tour the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum on Friday afternoon, and approximately 25 players and staff members did just that.

With NLBM President Bob Kendrick leading the tour, the Nationals spent about 90 minutes hearing stories and looking at exhibits, which left strong impressions.

"It's my third time over there," manager Dave Martinez said. "Every time I go, I learn something different. Those [Negro Leagues players] were a big part of who we are today. They were making people happy, having fun and playing for the love of the game. To see some of those unbelievably great players who came through the league was always amazing to me."

The Nationals contacted the NLBM well before their trip to Kansas City and let museum officials know they would like to visit. The Nationals had visited the museum in 2016, but that was with a completely different roster.

"I thought it was awesome," catcher Riley Adams said. "I like how Bob reiterated that the museum is a celebration of the Negro Leagues players and their accomplishments. Anytime you can look at baseball history and see those things, it's just really fun to reflect on that."

As the Negro League stars were being pointed out, Adams was particularly interested in catcher Josh Gibson, who played nine seasons with the Homestead Grays.

"Especially since he played my position," Adams said. "I always think of Josh Gibson as one of the best catchers of all time."

First baseman Dominic Smith made his first visit to the NLBM, and he came away genuinely impressed.

"It was great," Smith said. "Hearing the great stories and seeing how passionate they are about explaining the history of the Negro Leagues, it was a fun experience that I got to share with my teammates."