query: who broke the color barrier in major league baseball

pos: Baseball color line that eventually led to the disappearance of blacks from the sport's other minor leagues later that century, including the low minors. After the line was in virtually full effect in the early 20th century, many black baseball clubs were established, especially during the 1920s to 1940s when there were several Negro Leagues. During this period some light-skinned Hispanic players, Native Americans, and native Hawaiians, like Prince Oana, were able to play in the Major Leagues. The color line was broken for good when Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season. In 1947, both Robinson in

pos: Montreal Royals the top farm team of the Dodgers in 1939. The Royals launched the baseball careers of Sparky Anderson, Gene Mauch, Roberto Clemente and the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier with Montreal in 1946, Jackie Robinson. Other Royals' players of note include Duke Snider, Don Drysdale, Chuck Connors, Walter Alston, Roy Campanella, Johnny Podres and the winningest pitcher in the history of the team, Tommy Lasorda. The team holds a unique place in baseball history for being the first major-league affiliate to break the so-called "baseball color barrier". On October 23, 1945, two members of the Brooklyn National

pos: Sport in Mexico Glove Award winner Aurelio Rodríguez, and AL batting champion Bobby Ávila. The first Mexican to play in Major League Baseball in the United States was Mel Almada, who participated with the Boston Red Sox in 1933. The Mexican Baseball League ("Liga Mexicana de Béisbol" or "LMB") was founded in 1925, establishing six teams, and playing all their matches in Mexico City. In the 1930s and 1940s, African-Americans from the United States – who were still barred from Major League Baseball until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 – played alongside Mexicans and Cubans in the Mexican League. In

pos: Kansas State Wildcats conference. Harold Robinson later received a letter of congratulations from Jackie Robinson, who had integrated major league baseball in 1947 while playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the spring of 1951, the conference color barrier in baseball was broken by Kansas State's Earl Woods (the father of golf great Tiger Woods). An indicator of the controversial nature of this position is reflected in an article published in "The Tulsa World" about an incident that occurred in the early 1950s during a baseball game: Finally, in the winter of 1951–1952, Kansas State's Gene Wilson broke the conference color barrier in basketball,

pos: Historic Dodgertown broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. On April 15, 2014 the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Brevard County Manatees participated in the first professional regular season game at Holman Stadium since the Vero Beach Devil Rays departed Vero Beach, becoming the Charlotte Stone Crabs after the 2008 season. The Brevard County Manatees and St. Lucie Mets participated in the Second Annual Jackie Robinson Celebration Game on April 15, 2015 to a near capacity crowd of 5,915 spectators. Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association hosted their first Elite Development Invitational at Historic Dodgertown. This

pos: New York Cubans New York Cubans The New York Cubans were a Negro league baseball team that played during the 1930s and from 1939 to 1950. Despite playing in the Negro leagues, the team occasionally employed white-skinned Hispanic baseball players as well, because Hispanics in general were largely ignored by the major league baseball teams before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. In 1899, the All Cubans became the first all-Hispanic team to travel to the United States and stage exhibition games, against established Negro league powerhouse teams. The All Cubans kept traveling to the United States each year

pos: Shochiku Robins DeNA BayStars. Shochiku Robins The Shochiku Robins was a Japanese baseball team that played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The franchise originated in the Japanese Baseball League (NPB's predecessor) and existed from 1936–1953, when it merged with another team. Originally based in Tokyo, the club moved to Osaka in 1941. The club was founded as Dai Tokyo before the 1936 Japanese Baseball League season. They made history by signing an African-American player, James E. Bonner (known in Japan as "Jimmy Bonna"), 11 years before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier. The worst team in the league its

pos: Shochiku Robins Shochiku Robins The Shochiku Robins was a Japanese baseball team that played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The franchise originated in the Japanese Baseball League (NPB's predecessor) and existed from 1936–1953, when it merged with another team. Originally based in Tokyo, the club moved to Osaka in 1941. The club was founded as Dai Tokyo before the 1936 Japanese Baseball League season. They made history by signing an African-American player, James E. Bonner (known in Japan as "Jimmy Bonna"), 11 years before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier. The worst team in the league its first year,

pos: Branch Rickey Award with individuals with nephropathy. Also, some winners devoted themselves to work with major disasters and tragedies. Bobby Valentine donated money to charities benefiting victims of the September 11 attacks, while Luis Gonzalez worked with survivors of Hurricane Katrina. General Specific Branch Rickey Award The Branch Rickey Award was given annually to an individual in Major League Baseball (MLB) in recognition of his exceptional community service from 1992 to 2014. The award was named in honor of former player and executive Branch Rickey, who broke the major league color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson, while president and general manager of the

pos: Branch Rickey Award Branch Rickey Award The Branch Rickey Award was given annually to an individual in Major League Baseball (MLB) in recognition of his exceptional community service from 1992 to 2014. The award was named in honor of former player and executive Branch Rickey, who broke the major league color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson, while president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey also created the Knothole Gang, a charity that allowed children to attend MLB games. The award, created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, was first awarded to Dave Winfield in 1992 at their annual banquet.

pos: Big Eight Conference decades. (During this time all of the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. were also segregated.) The modern era of full integration of league sports began at Kansas State, with Harold Robinson. In 1949, Harold Robinson played football for Kansas State with an athletic scholarship. In doing so, Robinson broke the modern "color barrier" in conference athletics, and also became the first ever African-American athlete on scholarship in the conference. Harold Robinson later received a letter of congratulations from Jackie Robinson, who had reintegrated major league baseball in 1947 while playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the spring of

pos: Baseball large number of minor league teams disbanded when World War II led to a player shortage. Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley led the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to help keep the game in the public eye. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred in 1945: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal. In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with the Dodgers. Latin American players, largely overlooked before, also started

pos: Sport in the Dominican Republic and the championship game that year brought in over $7,000 and commercial pressures led to the sport becoming a semi-profession in the Dominican Republic. Rafael Trujillo became president of the Dominican Republic in 1930 and he helped baseball soar in popularity as the sport gained a political connection. By the end of the 1930s, many of the finest Negro League players from the United States and Cuban players played baseball in the summer in the Dominican Republic as they were paid a fortune in order to come play. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947

pos: Neil Churchill Neil Churchill Neil O. Churchill (February 13, 1891 – September, 1969) was a car dealer in Bismarck, North Dakota who funded an integrated baseball team in the mid-thirties more than a decade before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Churchill joined Wickham Corwin's Bismarck automobile dealership in 1925 and the company became Corwin-Churchill Motor Co. A colleague said he "was a hell of a salesman—a smart fellow and real promoter." In 1937, when Corwin moved to Fargo, Churchill stayed in Bismarck. When Churchill retired in 1952 he sold his share of the business to the Corwin

pos: Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada abandoned by the NL for the 1900 and 1901 seasons, and renamed itself the American League in direct competition with the NL. The NL and AL made peace in 1903; the resulting agreement formed what today is known as Major League Baseball. MLB withstood the challenge of the Federal League in 1914. Various Negro Leagues peaked from the 1920s to the 1940s, and on barnstorming tours the Negro League players showed themselves to be MLB players' competitive equals, but after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, the influx of black stars into the major leagues drained the Negro

pos: History of baseball The inaugural College World Series was held in 1947, and the Babe Ruth League youth program was founded. This program soon became another important organizing body for children's baseball. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred the previous year: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers—where Branch Rickey had become general manager—and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal. In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with the Dodgers; Larry Doby debuted with the American League's Cleveland Indians later the same year. Latin

pos: Gene Smith (Negro leagues pitcher) also started Games 3 and 6 of the 1947 Negro League World Series against the New York Cubans. Like many Negro Leaguers, Gene Smith was never allowed in Major League Baseball. By the time Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Smith was nearing the end of his own career, with an arm unable to cope with the demands of pitching due to assorted injuries. Smith ended his career in 1953, dividing his playing time with the Statesboro Pilots of the Georgia State League and the Fond du Lac Panthers of the Wisconsin State League.

pos: Dayton Rens Dayton Rens The Dayton Rens were a member of the USA National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1948-49 season and were the only all-black team to play in a white league. This milestone came just one year after Jackie Robinson, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. For the Rens, however, this milestone would be the only highlight of a season in which they finished in last place with a record of 16-43. The Dayton Rens, formerly the New York Renaissance, or Rens, moved to Dayton, Ohio in the middle of the NBL season

pos: Dayton Rens when Earl Lloyd became the first African American to play in an N.B.A., game with the Washington Capitols. The NBA was the creation of the 1949 merger between the BAA and NBL, which did not include the Rens. Dayton Rens The Dayton Rens were a member of the USA National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1948-49 season and were the only all-black team to play in a white league. This milestone came just one year after Jackie Robinson, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. For the Rens, however, this milestone would be the

pos: Major League Baseball a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series, which came to be known as the Black Sox Scandal. The sport rose in popularity in the 1920s, and survived potential downturns during the Great Depression and World War II. Shortly after the war, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. The 1950s and 1960s were a time of expansion for the AL and NL, then new stadiums and artificial turf surfaces began to change the game in the 1970s and 1980s. Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s, and media reports began to discuss the use of anabolic steroids among Major

pos: Veterans Committee Clark Foundation which funded the Hall, and future President of the Baseball Hall of Fame; American League President Will Harridge; National League President and former General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds Warren Giles; Branch Rickey, who helped pioneer the farm system as General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, signed Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier as General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was at this time active General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates; President of the International League Frank Shaughnessy; Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer; sportswriter Warren Brown, who, among other things, is credited with

pos: Baseball Card Adventures to do a book report on Jackie Robinson for black history month. Joe has had a horrible baseball game and his dad felt sorry for Joe and gave him his 1947 Jackie Robinson baseball card. Joe went back in time on the exact day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier between the black league and the white league. Joe experiences what it is like to be an African American in a segregated society when he travels back to 1947 to watch Jackie Robinson play, and while going back in time he himself turns black. He tries to bring back a

pos: Marc Sagmoen Sagmoen made his Major League debut on April 15, 1997, wearing the #42 that he had been assigned by Rangers management. On that same day Major League Baseball retired the number league-wide in tribute to Jackie Robinson, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947. Therefore Sagmoen became the last player to make his debut in the number. , or Retrosheet <br> Marc Sagmoen Marc Richard Sagmoen (born April 16, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 13th round of the 1993 amateur draft and signed

pos: Bill Willis other teams, and his versatility as a pass-rusher and coverage man influenced the development of the modern-day linebacker position. When he retired, Cleveland coach Paul Brown called him "one of the outstanding linemen in the history of professional football". Willis was also one of the first African Americans to play professional football in the modern era, signing with the Browns a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Willis attended Ohio State University, where he joined the track and football teams. He was part of a Buckeyes

pos: Connie Mack generous to players in need, often finding jobs for former players. For instance, he kept Bender on the team payroll as a scout, minor league manager or coach from 1926 until Mack himself retired as owner-manager in 1950. Simmons was a coach for many years after his retirement as a player. Mack lived through the entire era of racially segregated baseball (the early days of the game in his youth sometimes featured black players, but this ended by the 1890s and the major leagues remained white-only until Jackie Robinson broke down the color barrier in 1947), and even afterwards never

pos: Warren Sandel Warren Sandel Warren Sandel was an American baseball player from 1938 to 1952. Most of his playing time was spent at the minor league level. A pitcher, Sandel is best remembered for giving up the first base hit to Jackie Robinson who broke professional baseball's color barrier in 1946 while playing under a minor league contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Sandel signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals while he was in high school. He subsequently entered the minor leagues in 1938 as pitcher for the Albuquerque Cardinals, which at the time was a member of the Class

pos: Johnny Ritchey Artie Wilson by just .008, as Jackie Robinson was making history and breaking the Color Barrier in Major League Baseball. Ritchey made history soon later, becoming the first ever African American to play in the Pacific Coast League. With the color barrier already broken by Robinson, the Chicago Cubs scouted Ritchey while playing with the American Giants at Comiskey Park and invited him for a tryout at Wrigley Field in September 1948. Ritchey worked out for the Cubs for six hours, but no contract came. Instead, the Cubs suggested he play in the winter leagues, after which they might have

pos: Ted Williams the recognition of the great Negro Leagues players: "I've been a very lucky guy to have worn a baseball uniform, and I hope some day the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given a chance." Williams was referring to two of the most famous names in the Negro Leagues, who were not given the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Gibson died early in 1947 and thus

pos: 2007 Major League Baseball season the American League defeated the National League by a score of 5–4. The victory was the tenth consecutive (excluding the 2002 tie) for the AL, and their eleven-game unbeaten streak matches only the NL's streak from 1972 to 1982 in All-Star history. On April 15, Major League Baseball celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the debut of Jackie Robinson at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, breaking the color barrier. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. asked Robinson's widow, Rachel, and commissioner Bud Selig for permission to wear Robinson's number 42 in honor of him. He was granted permission, and Selig later said

pos: Montreal storied baseball history. The city was the home of the minor-league Montreal Royals of the International League until 1960. In 1946 Jackie Robinson broke the baseball colour barrier with the Royals in an emotionally difficult year; Robinson was forever grateful for the local fans' fervent support. Major League Baseball came to town in the form of the Montreal Expos in 1969. They played their games at Jarry Park until moving into Olympic Stadium in 1977. After 36 years in Montreal, the team relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2005 and re-branded themselves as the Washington Nationals. Discussions about MLB returning to

pos: Jackie Robinson Day the first official league-wide Jackie Robinson Day, having festivities taking place at all 13 ballparks where Major League games were scheduled to be played. "I have often stated that baseball's proudest moment and its most powerful social statement came on April 15, 1947 when Jackie Robinson first set foot on a Major League Baseball field", said Selig. "On that day, Jackie brought down the color barrier and ushered in the era in which baseball became the true national pastime. Fifty years after that historic event, in April 1997, I was proud to join Rachel Robinson and President Bill Clinton at

pos: Roberto Clemente discriminate against someone based on ethnicity. Clemente was at a double disadvantage, as he was a Latin American and Caribbean player who knew very little English, and was Black, being of African descent. The year before, the Pirates had become the fifth team in the NL and ninth in the major leagues to break the baseball color line when they hired Curt Roberts who debuted with the team. This was seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line with the Dodgers. Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, Roberts befriended Clemente and helped him adjust to life in the major league, as

pos: Stanley Woodward (editor) After Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line in 1947, Woodward wrote a story in the May 9, 1947, edition of the "Herald Tribune" that unidentified St. Louis Cardinals players had been rallying support for a strike by National League teams, in which they would attempt to put pressure on Robinson by not playing against him. According to the column, Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick indicated that he would issue suspensions for all striking players, heading off the plot. Woodward quoted Frick as telling the players involved, "I do not care if half the league strikes. Those who

pos: Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, they heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson had an exceptional 10-year MLB career. He

pos: New York Yankees the players and a descriptive paragraph. The number 42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball in honor of Jackie Robinson on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier. The day was declared Jackie Robinson Day, and was later observed by all of baseball, with select players from every team wearing the number 42. Players who wore No. 42 at the time were allowed to continue to wear it until they left the team with which they played on April 15, 1997; Mariano Rivera was the last active player covered under that grandfather clause. While other

pos: Bryan Burwell Bryan Burwell Bryan Ellis Burwell (August 4, 1955 – December 4, 2014) was an American sportswriter. He wrote for the "St. Louis Post Dispatch" and as on-air talent on CBS Sports 920 in St. Louis, weekday afternoons. He worked as an on-air talent at 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis, Missouri. He was featured on ESPN's "Jim Rome is Burning" and ESPN's "The Sports Reporters". Burwell also was a co-writer and host of a documentary on the baseball's Negro League called "The Color of Change". Prior to 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, African-Americans were stonewalled from baseball

pos: Josh Gibson an unmarked grave until a small plaque was placed in 1975. Even though Jackie Robinson became the first black player in modern major league history in April 1947, Larry Doby, who broke the American League color barrier that July, felt that Gibson was the best black player in 1945, and 1946. Doby said in an interview later, "One of the things that was disappointing and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player. The best was Josh Gibson. I think that's one of the reasons why Josh died so

pos: Joe Black of Summer". Black helped the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues win two championships in seven years. He and Jackie Robinson pushed for a pension plan for Negro League players and instrumental in the inclusion of players who played before 1944. Black then played for a year in the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league system. The Dodgers promoted Black to the major leagues in 1952 at 28, five years after teammate Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. He roomed with Robinson while with Brooklyn. Black was chosen Rookie of the Year after winning 15 games and saving 15 others for

pos: George Digby (baseball scout) signed him for $7,500 and a college scholarship. In , Digby saw Boggs belt a home run for his 3,000th career-hit, to become the first player in Major League history to enter the 3,000 hit club by hitting a home run. Boggs had invited Digby, all expenses paid. In 1948, one year after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball barrier in the Majors, the Birmingham Barons of the Southern Association were an affiliate team of the Red Sox who played at Rickwood Field in Alabama. The Barons, an all-white squad, shared the same field with the Birmingham Black Barons, an all-black

pos: Branch Rickey Roth as a full-time analyst for the Dodgers in 1947. After viewing Roth's evidence, Rickey promoted the idea that on-base percentage was a more important hitting statistic than batting average. While working under Rickey, Roth was also the first person to provide statistical evidence that platoon effects were real and quantifiable. Rickey's most memorable act with Dodgers involved signing Jackie Robinson, thus breaking baseball's color barrier, which had been an unwritten rule since the 1880s. This policy had continued under a succession of baseball leaders, including Landis, who was openly opposed to integrating Major League Baseball for what he regarded

pos: Larry Doby returned to baseball in 1946, and along with teammate Monte Irvin, helped the Eagles win the Negro League World Series. In July 1947—three months after Jackie Robinson made history with the Brooklyn Dodgers—Doby broke the MLB color barrier in the American League when he signed a contract to play with Bill Veeck's Cleveland Indians. Doby was the first player to go directly to the majors from the Negro leagues. A seven-time All-Star center fielder, Doby and teammate Satchel Paige were the first African-American players to win a World Series championship when the Indians took the crown in 1948. He helped

pos: Tom Greenwade Tom Greenwade Thomas E. Greenwade (August 21, 1904 – August 10, 1986) was an American baseball scout. After a brief minor league career as a pitcher and manager, Greenwade scouted for the St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1941 and 1964. He is best known for discovering players such as Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard, and for his role in Jackie Robinson's ascent to break baseball's color barrier. Greenwade was born in Willard, Missouri. He was one-quarter Cherokee. His father ran a lumber mill in Willard. Greenwade's mother died when he

pos: The Chase Park Plaza Hotel Park Plaza stayed open. The Chase Park Plaza is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program. The hotel joined the Sonesta hotels chain on May 18, 2017. Jackie Robinson was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. In 1953, Robinson openly criticized segregated hotels and restaurants that served the Dodger organization. A number of these establishments integrated as

pos: Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award the National and American League. Originally, the award was known as the J. Louis Comiskey Memorial Award, named after the Chicago White Sox owner of the 1930s. The award was renamed the Jackie Robinson Award in July 1987, 40 years after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line. Of the 140 players named Rookie of the Year (as of 2016), 16 have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame—Jackie Robinson, five American League players, and ten others from the National League. The award has been shared twice: once by Butch Metzger and Pat Zachry of the National League

pos: Pumpsie Green years since his breaking of the Red Sox color barrier. In February 2012, Green was honored by the city of El Cerrito, and presented with a proclamation honoring his "distinguished stature in baseball history." In April 2012, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Jackie Robinson day at Fenway Park, and also attended Fenway's 100th anniversary celebrations later that month. In May 2018, Green was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. , Retrosheet, or Baseball Almanac Pumpsie Green Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green (born October 27, 1933) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) backup infielder

pos: Elston Howard Elston Howard Elston Gene "Ellie" Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player. Howard on the field was a catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1968, primarily for the New York Yankees. He also played for the Kansas City Monarchs and the Boston Red Sox. In 1955, he was the first African American player on the Yankees roster; this was eight years after Jackie Robinson had broken the MLB color barrier in 1947. Howard was named the

pos: Jackie Robinson parent club, the Dodgers. Robinson thus became the first black player to openly play for a minor league team against a major league team since the "de facto" baseball color line had been implemented in the 1880s. Later in spring training, after some less-than-stellar performances, Robinson was shifted from shortstop to second base, allowing him to make shorter throws to first base. Robinson's performance soon rebounded. On April 18, 1946, Roosevelt Stadium hosted the Jersey City Giants' season opener against the Montreal Royals, marking the professional debut of the Royals' Jackie Robinson and the first time the color barrier had

pos: History of baseball outside the United States to denote the location, but it is difficult to locate, given the parklike setting and remote nature of the Toronto Islands. In 1946, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey assigned new signing Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals of the International League, Brooklyn's Triple-A farm team. Robinson would famously go on to break Major League Baseball's color barrier the following year in 1947, but during his season in Montreal Robinson led the Royals to the Governors' Cup, the IL championship, and became a beloved figure in the city. In Ken Burns' documentary film Baseball, the narrator quotes Sam Maltin, a

pos: Majestic Park 1920, Ruth went on to total 714 Home Runs, a record that stood until broken by Hank Aaron. On October 22, 1953, Jackie Robinson played in an exhibition game at Jaycee Park. Having broken Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, Robinson and the some other Major League players (including his Dodgers teammate Gil Hodges) toured, calling themselves Jackie Robinson's All-Stars. Robinson's squad played the Negro American League All-Stars that day, losing 14-9. Today, there is a plaque at the site as part of the "Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail" honoring the event. In 1952, as referenced in a plaque

pos: Johnny Wright (baseball) He was a happy-go-lucky person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Wright died in 1990. Johnny Wright (baseball) John Richard "Johnny" Wright (November 28, 1916, New Orleans, Louisiana - May 4, 1990, Jackson, Mississippi) was a Negro League pitcher who played briefly in the International League of baseball's minor leagues in 1946, and was on the roster of the Montreal Royals at the same time as Jackie Robinson, making him a plausible candidate to have broken the baseball color barrier. Instead, Wright was demoted from Montreal and returned the next season to the Negro Leagues. Wright

pos: Johnny Wright (baseball) Johnny Wright (baseball) John Richard "Johnny" Wright (November 28, 1916, New Orleans, Louisiana - May 4, 1990, Jackson, Mississippi) was a Negro League pitcher who played briefly in the International League of baseball's minor leagues in 1946, and was on the roster of the Montreal Royals at the same time as Jackie Robinson, making him a plausible candidate to have broken the baseball color barrier. Instead, Wright was demoted from Montreal and returned the next season to the Negro Leagues. Wright was a New Orleans-born, 5'11", 175-lbs, right-handed pitcher who started his professional career with the New Orleans Zulus in

pos: Orlando Cepeda time in 1946, and was instantly interested in the game. Because he was black and the bulk of his career was played before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color bar, Perucho Cepeda could not play in the major leagues. Several players from the Negro leagues visited their house, which influenced his view of the sport. He became a fan of Minnie Miñoso, following his career in the Cuban League, Negro leagues, Major League Baseball, and the Caribbean. When he was ten years old, Cepeda began to sell newspapers in order to participate in a baseball tournament organized for the paper boys.

pos: Wilmer Fields Negro League career with the Grays, but continued his college education in the off-seasons while also playing football and basketball. The Grays were one of the finest teams in the Negro League, winning nine league championships before folding in the wake of desegregated professional baseball. They played many of their home games at the old Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. and some in Homestead, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh. After Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 season and broke the color line in Major League Baseball, the Negro Leagues struggled, starting to die off. In 1940 Fields joined

pos: Jerry Reinsdorf the salary cap and revenue sharing. On April 4, 2016, Reinsdorf was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Reinsdorf was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, and he was the son of a sewing machine salesman. A lifelong baseball fan who grew up in the shadows of Ebbets Field, Reinsdorf was in the stands the day Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier which prevented black players from serving on Major League teams. Reinsdorf earned a bachelor's degree from

pos: Oakland Athletics the six players with retired numbers, five were retired for their play with the Athletics and one, 42, was universally retired by Major League Baseball when they honored the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier. No A's player from the Philadelphia era has his number retired by the organization. Though Jackson and Hunter played small portions of their careers in Kansas City, no player that played the majority of his years in the Kansas City era has his number retired either. The A's have retired only the numbers of Hall of Fame members who played large portions

pos: Carl Barger as his favorite player was Joe DiMaggio (who wore number 5 in his career). The only other person to have uniform number retired by the Marlins is Jackie Robinson, whose number 42 jersey was retired throughout Major League Baseball to honor his achievement of breaking baseball's color barrier. However, on February 11, 2012, the Marlins unretired #5, as that number was requested to be worn by Logan Morrison, a player for the Marlins from 2012–2014. Barger is currently honored with a plaque with #5 depicted on it. Additionally, the Marlins designated the practice areas and fields next to Space Coast

pos: 1972 World Series in foul territory to end the game. The World Series home loss was Reds' seventh-straight, which included three in the 1961 World Series against the New York Yankees (at Crosley Field) and two in the 1970 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Jackie Robinson, the first black major league player of the modern era, made his final public appearance in Cincinnati before Game 2 (he died nine days later). In a brief speech, he expressed his desire to see a black manager in Major League Baseball, a color barrier that had not yet been broken. Two years later, Frank Robinson

pos: Bill Garrett (basketball) of only a few African American students in his high school graduating class. Garrett was one of three black starters who played on his high school's integrated basketball team. In 1947 he led the Shelbyville Golden Bears to its first state high school basketball championship, beating Terre Haute's Garfield High School, 68–58. Garrett also set a new tournament scoring record of 91 points, beating the 85-point record that Anderson High School's Jumping Johnny Wilson had set the previous year. Garrett was named Indiana Mr. Basketball for 1947, the same year that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League

pos: Kenesaw Mountain Landis farm system, whereby each major league club has several minor league teams which it uses to develop talent, proceeded apace. Rob Neyer describes Landis's effort as "a noble effort in a good cause, but it was also doomed to fail." One of the most controversial aspects of Landis's commissionership is the question of race. From 1884, black ballplayers were informally banned from organized baseball. No black ballplayer played in organized baseball during Landis's commissionership; Rickey (then running the Brooklyn Dodgers) broke the color line by signing Jackie Robinson to play for the minor league Montreal Royals in 1946, after Landis's

pos: Hank Thompson (baseball) hard-hitting star for the Monarchs in the Negro American League, playing both infield and outfield. At 17, he played right field in his first season, batting .300. The following year he was drafted into the Army. Thompson was a machine gunner with the 1695th Combat Engineers at the historic Battle of the Bulge. Sergeant Thompson was discharged on June 20, 1946, and immediately returned to the Monarchs, who were in the midst of capturing the league title. With the start of the major league 1947 season, history was made when Jackie Robinson broke the color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

pos: 1969 Major League Baseball expansion eastern North America in the 1850s and 1860s, and Montreal "became a special hotbed", so much so that by the early 1860s Montreal authorities banned play in city parks and streets for public safety. Minor league baseball became a presence in the city. In 1946, the Montreal Royals, a Triple-A team affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball, became the first team having any affiliation to MLB to break baseball's colour barrier. Jackie Robinson, who had been signed to a contract by Branch Rickey in late 1945, played the entire season for the International League team. He and

pos: Jarry Park Stadium time a team was located outside of the United States. Montreal, Quebec, Canada's largest city, had a strong tradition with minor league baseball, as the Montreal Royals were a long time Dodgers farm team. Jackie Robinson had played for the Royals in 1946, before his promotion to the Dodgers in 1947, breaking the color barrier. Icon Roberto Clemente was another Montreal Royal player, as were Dodgers legends Duke Snider, Don Drysdale, Roy Campanella and Tommy Lasorda. At the time the major league expansion announcement was made, Montreal had just hosted the 1967 World's Fair, called Expo '67, opened a new

neg: Carl Long (baseball) Carl Long (baseball) Carl Russell Long (May 9, 1935 – January 12, 2015) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Negro league baseball and minor league baseball. Along with Frank Washington, Long broke the color barrier in the Carolina League city of Kinston, North Carolina. Long's professional debut came with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1952, and that year, he led the NAL in triples with 8. He stayed with Birmingham through the 1953 season, and in that year, was selected to the Negro League East-West All-Star Game. He started for the East

neg: Los Angeles Dodgers the only non-Hall-of-Famer to have his number retired by the Dodgers (Alston's number was retired before he was elected to the Hall of Fame). Beginning in 1980, the Dodgers have retired the numbers of longtime Dodgers (Snider, Reese, Drysdale, Lasorda, and Sutton) during the seasons in which each was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 1997, 50 years after he broke the color barrier and 25 years after the Dodgers retired his number, Robinson's No.42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball. Robinson is the only major league baseball player to have this honor bestowed upon him. Starting in the

neg: Les Fleming Les Fleming Leslie Harvey Fleming (August 7, 1915 – March 5, 1980) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman who played for seven seasons. He played for the Detroit Tigers in 1939, the Cleveland Indians from 1941 to 1942 and from 1945 to 1947, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949. As a member of the Indians during the 1947 season, Fleming became a teammate of Larry Doby when Doby broke the color barrier in the American League on July 5, 1947. On that same day the Indians were in Chicago preparing for a match-up against the Chicago White Sox

neg: Baseball color line Baseball color line The Color Line, also known as the Color Barrier, in American baseball excluded players of Black African descent from Major League Baseball and its affiliated Minor Leagues until 1947 (with a few notable exceptions in the 19th century before the line was firmly established). Racial segregation in professional baseball was sometimes called a gentlemen's agreement, meaning a tacit understanding, as there was no written policy at the highest level of organized baseball, the major leagues. But a high minor league's vote in 1887 against allowing new contracts with black players within its league sent a powerful signal

neg: Tris Speaker when he broke the American League color barrier, working long hours with the former second baseman on how to play the outfield. , or Retrosheet Tris Speaker Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career batting average of .345 (sixth all-time). His 792 career doubles represent an MLB career record. His 3,514 hits are fifth in the all-time hits list. Defensively, Speaker holds career records for assists,

neg: Branch Barrett Rickey Branch Barrett Rickey Branch Barrett Rickey (born November 1, 1945) is the 17th and current President of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), a Triple-A baseball league competing in Minor League Baseball (MiLB). He previously served as the President of the American Association from 1991 to 1997 before the league disbanded in conjunction with the 1998 Major League Baseball expansion and Triple-A realignment. Rickey is the grandson of Branch Rickey, who is best known for breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier and for creating the framework for the modern minor league farm system. His father, Branch Rickey, Jr., served as farm

neg: Fitzgerald Pioneers the Fitzgerald Orioles and were managed by player/manager Earl Weaver, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1952, Pioneer Joe Reliford became the youngest player ever in a professional game and broke the Georgia State League color barrier. Fitzgerald played at Blue & Grey Park, located at 301 East Palm Street Fitzgerald, Georgia 31750. Fitzgerald Pioneers The Fitzgerald Pioneers were a minor league baseball team, based in Fitzgerald, Georgia that played from 1948 until 1957. The team played in the Class D Georgia State League and won the league's title in 1948. In 1953, the

neg: Baseball color line trying to pass him as a Cherokee Indian named Charlie Tokohama. Grant went along with the charade. However, in Chicago Grant's African American friends who came to see him try out gave him away and Grant never got an opportunity to play ball in the big leagues. On May 28, 1916, British Columbian Jimmy Claxton temporarily broke the professional baseball color barrier when he played two games for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League. Claxton was introduced to the team owner by a part-Native American friend as a fellow member of an Oklahoma tribe. The Zee-Nut candy company

neg: Larry Doby players (along with Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Willie Stargell) to appear on a postage stamp in 2012, as part of its "Major League Baseball All-Stars" series. The stamp was released July 21, 2012. , or Retrosheet Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier. A native of Camden, South Carolina and three-sport all-state athlete while in high school in Paterson, New Jersey, Doby accepted a basketball scholarship from Long

neg: Major League Baseball of them." That year, Robinson won the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949). Less than three months later, Larry Doby became the first African-American to break the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. The next year, a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Satchel Paige was signed by the Indians and the Dodgers added star catcher Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe, who was later the first winner of the Cy Young Award for his outstanding pitching.

neg: Baseball color line under-representation of African-American players in U.S. baseball ended during the early years of the civil rights movement, but their representation has fallen in recent years and as of 2010 was lower than in 1959 when the hiring of black players was still very controversial. Baseball color line The Color Line, also known as the Color Barrier, in American baseball excluded players of Black African descent from Major League Baseball and its affiliated Minor Leagues until 1947 (with a few notable exceptions in the 19th century before the line was firmly established). Racial segregation in professional baseball was sometimes called a

neg: Big Eight Conference 1951 the conference's baseball color barrier was broken by Kansas State's Earl Woods, and in the winter of 1951–1952 Kansas State's Gene Wilson and Kansas's LaVannes C. Squires jointly broke the conference color barrier in basketball. Nebraska was the third league school to (re)integrate its athletic teams, with Charles Bryant joining the football team in 1952. Iowa State would be next, with Harold Potts and Henry Philmon reintegrating the Cyclone football team in 1953. The following season, Franklin Clarke became the first varsity African-American football player at the University of Colorado. In 1955, Homer Floyd became the first African-American to

neg: Hinchliffe Stadium World War II, the Black Yankees left Hinchliffe and took up residency at Red Wing Stadium in Rochester, New York. Hinchliffe was also home to the New York Cubans in 1935 and 1936. The baseball played at Hinchliffe Stadium was some of the best and most competitive in the game, including prodigious athletes like Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, and "Cool Papa" Bell, among many others. Hall-of-Famer Larry Doby, the legendary player who broke the American League color barrier in 1947, grew up in Paterson playing football and baseball in Hinchliffe Stadium for Paterson's Eastside High School, and was

neg: History of baseball in the United States Robinson broke the color barrier, which had been tacitly recognized for over 50 years, with his appearance for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Eleven weeks later, on July 5, 1947, the American League was integrated by the signing of Larry Doby to the Cleveland Indians. Over the next few years a handful of black baseball players made appearances in the majors, including Roy Campanella (teammate to Robinson in Brooklyn) and Satchel Paige (teammate to Doby in Cleveland). Paige, who had pitched more than 2400 innings in the Negro Leagues, sometimes two and three games a day, was still effective

neg: Satchel Paige try out with Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau. On that same day, his 42nd birthday, Paige signed his first major league contract, for $40,000 for the three months remaining in the season, becoming the first Negro pitcher in the American League and the seventh Negro big leaguer overall. Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League at the age of 23 the same year Robinson did in the National League, would be a teammate of Paige. On July 9, 1948, Paige became the oldest man ever to debut in the major leagues, at the age of 42 years

neg: George Shuba George Shuba George Thomas "Shotgun" Shuba (December 13, 1924 – September 29, 2014) was a utility outfielder and left-handed pinch hitter in Major League Baseball who played seven seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His seven seasons included three World Series as well as a World Series championship in 1955. He was the first National League player to hit a pinch-hit home run in a World Series game. Shuba is often remembered for his symbolic role in breaking down Major League Baseball's tenacious "color barrier". While playing for a farm team in the 1940s, Shuba offered a congratulatory handshake to teammate

neg: Larry Doby Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier. A native of Camden, South Carolina and three-sport all-state athlete while in high school in Paterson, New Jersey, Doby accepted a basketball scholarship from Long Island University. At 17 years of age, he began his professional baseball career with the Newark Eagles as the team's second baseman. Doby joined the United States Navy during World War II. His military service complete, Doby

neg: 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings season 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings season The 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings finished with a 45–58 record, eighth place in the American Association. This was the only season the team was in a major league. The team was noteworthy for catcher Fleet Walker and outfielder Welday Walker, two brothers who are credited by some with being the first and second African Americans to play Major League Baseball before the color barrier prevented blacks from playing in the majors. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs" "Note:

neg: Jackie Robinson Day Dodgers) ended approximately 80 years of baseball segregation, also known as the baseball color line, or color barrier. He also was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, remembered for his services with the number 42 jersey. The gala is celebrated at varied ballparks by Major League team players. On that one day, all players, coaches, and managers on both teams, and the umpires, wear #42 on their jerseys. Shea Stadium was one of the prominent venues hosting the event, having commemorated the retirement of Robinson's number 42 jersey in . Bob DuPuy, the President and Chief Operating

neg: Jackie Robinson double, and a single in the same game. The Dodgers briefly moved into first place in the National League in late August 1948, but they ultimately finished third as the Braves went on to win the league title and lose to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 as a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Larry Doby (who broke the color barrier in the American League on July 5, 1947, just 11 weeks after Robinson) and Satchel Paige played for the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers had three other

neg: Fences (play) struggles with providing for his family. The play takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; although never officially named, it makes mention of several key locations in Pittsburgh. In his younger days, Troy was an excellent player in Negro league baseball and continued practicing baseball while in prison for an accidental murder he had committed during a robbery. Because the color barrier had not yet been broken in Major League Baseball, Troy was unable to get into MLB to make good money or to save for the future. He now lives a menial, though respectable life of trash collecting; later in the

neg: Larry Doby in the National League, only Doby's debut occurred six short weeks later and with almost no advance preparation by Doby or the Indians." Doby threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, played at Jacobs Field. The decision to have the game in Cleveland coincided with the 1997 season marking the fiftieth anniversary of Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier. It was also 50 years and 3 days since Doby became the first black player in the American League. Doby was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on March 3, 1998, by the

neg: Joe Reliford to third base. He then continued to play in the game as the center fielder. Reliford was released shortly after the incident, Ridgeway was suspended for five days and fined $50 (local fans paid the fine for him), and umpire Ed Kubrick was fired by the league. Reliford not only became the youngest person to play in professional baseball, he broke the color barrier in the Georgia State League as well. Later that summer, Reliford went to work for the semi-pro Fitzgerald Lucky Stars, even appearing in a few games. Any chance Reliford had at an athletic career, however, was

neg: William Benswanger purchased by an ownership group headed by Indianapolis businessman Frank E. McKinney, and which included entertainer Bing Crosby, Pittsburgh attorney Thomas P. Johnson, and Columbus, Ohio-based real estate magnate John W. Galbreath. Benswanger stepped down as club president upon completion of the sale. He died in Pittsburgh at age 79. Prior to Branch Rickey's efforts with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Benswanger was one of the few owners and executives who vocally challenged Major League Baseball's color barrier and its major proponent, Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis. William Benswanger William Edward Benswanger (February 22, 1892 – January 15, 1972) was an

neg: Walt McCredie league baseball teams to play against his teams in spring training. In 1914 McCredie signed Lang Akana who was born in Hawaii and of Chinese descent. According to "The Oregonian" several Pacific Coast League players said they would boycott games if Akana played for the Beavers. McCreidie released him after a few weeks, but told "The Oregonian" that "I don't think the color of skin ought to be a barrier in baseball ... Here in the Pacific Coast League we have a Mexican and a Hawaiian and yet the laws of baseball bar Negroes from organized diamonds ... The crack

neg: History of baseball in the United States signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier that had prevented talented African American players from entering the white-only major leagues. Although the transformation was not instantaneous, baseball has since become fully integrated. In 1948, the Negro Leagues faced financial difficulties that effectively ended their existence. Pitchers dominated the game in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1973, the designated hitter (DH) rule was adopted by the American League, while in the National League pitchers still bat for themselves to this day. The DH rule now constitutes the primary difference between the two leagues. During the late

neg: Kansas City Monarchs the Monarchs' shortstop. He became the first Monarch to make the jump to white baseball, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. He broke the minor league color line in 1946 with the Montreal Royals, and integrated the major leagues with the Dodgers in 1947. As baseball gradually desegregated in the late 1940s and 1950s, the Monarchs developed a niche as the foremost developer of black talent for the major leagues. The team sent more players to the majors than any other Negro League franchise, including Robinson, Paige, Ernie Banks, Elston Howard, Hank Thompson, and Willard Brown. Newt Allen succeeded

neg: Cleveland Indians market once more. O'Neill's nephew Patrick O'Neill did not find a buyer until real estate magnates Richard and David Jacobs purchased the team in 1986. The team was unable to move out of the cellar, with losing seasons between 1969 and 1975. One highlight was the acquisition of Gaylord Perry in . The Indians traded fireballer "Sudden Sam" McDowell for Perry, who became the first Indian pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. In , Cleveland broke another color barrier with the hiring of Frank Robinson as Major League Baseball's first African American manager. Robinson served as player-manager and would

neg: Sal Paolantonio that the competition informed the public morality on integration and consciously developed in the mid-20th century into an almost mythic spectacle. With its origins in the closing of the Turnerian frontier, the NFL league, rather than baseball, apparently broke down the color barrier in sports. A native of Stewart Manor, New York, Paolantonio attended Sewanhaka High School. He graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1977 with a bachelor of arts degree in history. He also attended New York University, where he received a master's degree in journalism in 1978. Paolantonio served as a gunnery officer

neg: Jim Crow laws in Major League Baseball; he permanently broke the color bar. Baseball teams continued to integrate in the following years, leading to the full participation of black baseball players in the Major Leagues in the 1960s. Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, houses the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, an extensive collection of everyday items that promoted racial segregation or presented racial stereotypes of African Americans, for the purpose of academic research and education about their cultural influence. In 2012, civil rights advocate Michelle Alexander argued in "The New Jim Crow" that America's war on drugs, which disproportionately affected

neg: MLB Network Showcase 1976. This was ABC's final year of consecutive baseball coverage (teaming with NBC, which had telecast Saturday afternoon games since 1966 and Major League Baseball in general since 1947) due to CBS signing a four-year contract (spanning from 1990–1993) to become the exclusive national broadcast network provider for Major League Baseball games. Al Michaels was ABC's lead play-by-play commentator alongside color commentators Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver. Meanwhile, Gary Thorne was the backup play-by-play man alongside Joe Morgan (who had worked with Gary Bender the previous season) on color commentary. In 1997, as part of the contract with Major League

neg: Uniform number (Major League Baseball) #42 regularly. Art Silber, owner and coach of the Nationals' Class-A Affiliate Potomac, wears the number 42 as well. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom Robinson played (as a Brooklyn Dodger), had already retired the number in 1972 before Robinson's death. However, the #42 would be worn by a number of players other than Rivera in 2007, which marked the 60th anniversary of Robinson's first appearance in Major League Baseball (the event that broke the sport's 20th-century color line). Before the season, then-Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. asked Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson, and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig for permission

neg: History of the Cleveland Indians seasons between 1969 and 1975. One highlight was the acquisition of Gaylord Perry in . The Indians traded fireballer "Sudden Sam" McDowell for Perry, who became the first Indian pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. In , Cleveland broke another color barrier with the hiring of Frank Robinson as Major League Baseball's first African American manager; another move by Bonda that further strained relations with Mileti. Robinson served as player-manager and would provide a franchise highlight when he hit a pinch hit home run on Opening Day. But the high-profile signing of Wayne Garland, a 20-game winner in Baltimore,

neg: Monument Park (Yankee Stadium) was retired throughout baseball on April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees erected a plaque for Robinson reading: "In becoming the first Major League player to break the color barrier, Jackie will forever be an inspiration with his grace, dignity and perseverance. His story and the stories of those who never had the same opportunity must never be forgotten." 42s were also painted in front of each dugout. Players active at the time of the number's retirement in 1997 were granted a special exemption permitting them to continue wearing the number for

neg: Bill White (first baseman) years. As a minor-leaguer, White was the second black American to play for a Carolina League team – the Danville Leafs (1953). Percy Miller Jr. broke the color barrier for that league in 1951. In his 13-season major league career, White batted .286 with 202 home runs and 870 RBIs in 1,673 games. His best statistical year came in 1963, when he posted career highs with 200 hits, 106 runs scored, 27 home runs, and 109 RBIs. White was a consistent performer, particularly during the 1962-64 seasons. During those three seasons, he had nearly identical numbers for hits (199, 200,

neg: 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game the game in English outside of the U.S., with announcers Gary Thorne (play-by-play) and Rick Sutcliffe (color commentator). The American Forces Network also carried the game to U.S. service personnel stationed around the globe. ESPN Radio broadcast the game, with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Dave Campbell (color commentator). Peter Pascarelli and John Rooney served as field reporters. 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on

neg: Cleveland Indians record for the largest crowd to see a Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of the World Series against the Boston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the 1959 World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox. Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements was breaking the color barrier in the American League by signing Larry Doby, formerly a player for the Negro League's Newark Eagles in , 11 weeks after

neg: 1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase 1998 season where he broke the record. The following table outlines home runs that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit during 1998 season. 1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase The 1998 Major League Baseball home run chase in Major League Baseball was the race between first baseman Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and right fielder Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs that resulted in both players breaking Roger Maris's long-standing and highly coveted record of 61 home runs. McGwire broke Maris's record on September 8 against the Cubs and finished with 70 home runs. Sosa finished

neg: Red Barber Robinson breaking the major leagues' color barrier with the Dodgers, Barber is played by John C. McGinley. In the 2015 television series "Manhattan" (Series 1, Episode 11), a character asks another if they have "been watching Red Barber" after the latter's foreign accent has improved to sound more American, suggesting that is where she learned to improve it. Red Barber Walter Lanier "Red" Barber (February 17, 1908 – October 22, 1992) was an American sports commentator. Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds