May 26, 1953, Six years after Jackie Robinson makes his major league debut, the Cardinals sign their first black player when Fresno State College slugger Len Tucker agrees to a $3,000 professional contract. The 23 year-old speedy outfielder plays exceptionally well in the minors for Peoria, Saskatoon, and Modesto, but never gets the called up…
1952 – On a local TV program, Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson charges that the New York Yankees management is racist for its failure to bring up a black player. George Weiss of the Yanks denies the allegations.
The Yankees obtain their first black players, OF Elston Howard and P Frank Barnes. They purchase them from the Kansas City Monarchs and assign them to the Muskegon Clippers (Central League).
Sam Jethroe, former Cleveland Buckeyes star of the Negro American League, becomes the first black player for the Braves. The 33 year-old highly-touted prospect, who will lead the majors with 35 stolen bases, will be named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.
Less than two weeks after Larry Doby’s debut with the Indians, Hank Thompson and Willard Brown become the second and third black players in the American League and first for the Browns. The former Kansas City Monarchs standouts will play in less than 30 games for St. Louis because their presence does not significantly raise attendance.
On July 3, 1947, Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck purchases the contract of outfielder Larry Doby from the Newark Eagles of the Negro American League. Doby will play in his first game two days later, becoming the first African-American player in American League history. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IGp1c3QgY2xpY2sgdGhlIHRhZ3MhICAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImxpbmtfdG9fdGVybV9wYWdlIjoib24iLCJzZXBhcmF0b3IiOiIgfCAiLCJjYXRlZ29yeV90eXBlIjoicG9zdF90YWcifX0=@
During the pregame infield practice, a barrage of racial slurs is directed at Jackie Robinson by the Cincinnati fans during the Dodgers’ first visit to Crosley Field this season. Brooklyn shortstop Pee Wee Reese, a Southerner from Kentucky with friends attending the game and captain of the team, engages the black infielder in conversation, and then put his arm around his teammate’s shoulder, a gesture that stuns and silences the crowd.
Philadelphia manager Ben Chapman, who admits he had been ‘kinda loud’ in leading his team in verbally abusing Jackie Robinson with racial slurs during yesterday’s game, sends word to the Brooklyn clubhouse that he would like to make amends by posing with the Dodger first baseman for the newspaper photographers. The orchestrated gesture, which Robinson agrees to, admitting later that is one of the hardest things he ever had to make himself do, is prompted by the bad press created by the Phillies manager’s intolerance and the wrath of Commissioner Chandler.
(NY Daily News, Friday, April 11, 1947; written by Hy Turkin) “Jackie Robinson is a Dodger today. Blazing a revolutionary front by admitting the first black player in modern major league history, Dodger president Branch Rickey yesterday purchased Jackie’s contract from his Montreal farm club. .. Since the Dodgers’ main weakness is at first base,…
In anticipation of the signing of the team’s first black players, Bill Veeck, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, sets up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona is chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season, Veeck will sign the American League’s first black player, Larry Doby, who will train at the camp. The New York Giants also set up camp in Arizona, while the Brooklyn Dodgers move their training camp from Florida to Havana, Cuba.
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