On a mission to cure paralysis and educate our youth, David Iery is committed to funding spinal cord injury research and is awarding various scholarships to High School Athletes.

On Sept. 26, 2020, Mr Oliver received his Certificate of Honorary Membership from David Iery, President of the David Iery Foundation.

Al Oliver is a Big supporter of the Foundation and Research of spinal cord injuries.

Thank You David for the Honorary Membership No. H001, dated November 19th, 2019.

Keep Up the Great Work That You and Your Foundation Does...

Born just after the end of WWII, Albert “Scoop” Oliver, Jr. grew up during the 1950s in a Rivertown on the banks of the mighty Ohio. 

His great grandfather was a slave in Union Springs, Alabama and so his surname is from a slave owner.

His ancestors were brought to the US on slave ships of which there is some record. His grandfather, Issac, moved to Portsmouth, Ohio from the south bringing his wife, Caroline, and son Albert Sr., looking for a better way of life and work.

The grandfather would find work at a railroad Co. called Southern Ohio Railroad which would grow to be the biggest railroad yard East of the Mississippi River under Norfolk and Western Railway.

His father would grow into a sturdy man of athletic talent which would portend for his son becoming a professional athlete.

Albert Sr. would play basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters and was an alternate to the great Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Albert Sr. would die at age 54 from breathing brick dust where he worked in a brickyard in Portsmouth.

Silicosis would take his life and he died the day young Al was called up to the Pirates in 1968. He got to see his son play in one professional game in Gastonia, NC when Al was in the minor leagues with the Pirates.

Al was the oldest of 3 children born to Albert Senior and Sallie Jane Chambers, who was from Ripley, Ohio.

The young Ms. Chambers was born into a black family moving north during or after the Civil War and settled into the Rivertown of Ripley, which was connected to the Underground Railroad and freedom for slaves escaping north with the help of John Rankin.

Al was the oldest, Paula the middle child, and Jim the youngest. All are gone now, with Paula passing in March of 2019, and Al’s mother dying from diabetes when he was 11 years old in the mid-1950s. His mother always told young Al he was going to be a ballplayer. She was right.


Portsmouth was an industrial town of steel mills, brickyards, shoe factories, and a society where blacks were segregated in school and housing...

Mr. Oliver has always been proud of being from Portsmouth, OH. Throughout his professional career and beyond, he has always spoken highly of his hometown where he has made memories that will last a lifetime.

Hometown Hornor

In conjunction to the honors of being exhibited on a Mural on the the North side of the city, signing The Star on the South side of the city, and being named Ambassador of the City Of Portsmouth, Portsmouth has honored in again. 

Presented to him on Emancipation Day 2020, the city of Portsmouth erected a new Al Oliver roadside banner. This banner presents Al Oliver's accomplishments to in the world of Major League baseball. 

As a graduate of Portsmouth High School, Al Oliver's professional baseball credits equal being a 7 time All-Star who played on the first ever All Minority Team in baseball history. 

Lastly, Al planed on the '71 World Series championship team. 

Now these contribution are on display for everyone to see. 

Congratulations again to Al Oliver.

“We are Americans, too, and this is one way we are going to express that,” he said of the league’s impact.

Though everyone agreed great progress has been since the Negro Leagues were founded, Gibson still bemoaned the lack of diversity in MLB front offices and made it clear that the work his great-grandfather helped kick-start is far from finished.

“Here we are celebrating the Negro Leagues’ 100th anniversary, and we’re still talking about some of the same things my grandfather went through 70 years ago,” Gibson said. “So, until all of us become one and do better, we’ll still be talking about this 24 years later.”

Joshua Axelrod: jaxelrod@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jaxel222

 On November 24, 2019, Mr Oliver had the Honor of being one of the speakers at the Vera Clemente Funeral in Puerto Rico.

Vera Clemente was the widow of baseball legend Roberto Clemente who was a 15-time All-Star outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Roberto Clemente was involved in charity work and was killed on December 31, 1972, in a plane crash when he was headed to Nicaragua to deliver supplies to earthquake victims.

Since then,  Vera continued his humanitarian work as the chairwoman of the Roberto Clemente Foundation.

She spearheaded many charitable programs to help not only the people in her native country of Puerto Rico, but also people all over the US. 

Her kind-hearted willingness to help will truly be missed. 

Among the Pittsburgh Pirate representatives besides Mr Oliver were Steve Blass,  and Joe Billetdeaux...

Steve Blass is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher and a current broadcast announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Manny Sanguillen He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher in 1967 and from 1969 through 1980, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won five National League Eastern Division titles in six years between 1970 and 1975 and, won the World Series in 1971 and 1979. He also played one season for the Oakland Athletics.

Joe Billetdeaux, Director, Alumni Affairs, Promotions & Licensing was there offering support, and representing the Pirate organization. 

Also in attendance was former New York Yankee Bernie Williams...

Al delivered another moving message, highlighting that Vera was called home to resume her place beside her husband Roberto Clemente.  She kept her family together under some tragic times.

She always carried herself with a strong sense of dignity proud of the work that she was instrumental in doing.

Al thanked her for being a special part of his life, and acknowledged that he fully understood why Roberto took her as his bride.

 She may be gone, but will always be remembered. 

On November 14, 2019, the 2nd Annual David Iery Foundation Diamond Dinner Benefiting Spinal Cord Research was held at the Carter House in Vanceburg, KY.

Former Major Leaguers and Reds representatives along with a ML Scout and MLB Umpire were in attendance in support of the David Iery Foundation.

Those in attendance were, from left to right...Tom Posey, Ron Oester, Don Gullett, Tom Browning, Steve Delabar, Al Oliver, the keynote speaker, and Charlie Frank, of the Reds Community Fund...Along side David Iery are (2) 1869 Reds players...not pictured is Major League Umpire Greg Gibson...

To David and His Team,

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

See You Next Year!!!