| Date |
Event Description |
| 1878 |
Bud Fowler is the first known professional black player on an integrated team when he plays in Lynn (IA) exhibition games. |
| 05-01-1884 |
Moses Fleetwood Walker is the first black major league player and he goes 0-3 with Toledo of the American Association. |
| 10-01-1885 |
The Cuban Giants are organized by Frank P. Thompson and become the first group of professional black players. |
| 06-16-1886 |
The Southern League of Colored Base Ballists is the first pro black sports league, play their first game, but dissolve in August. |
| 05-06-1887 |
The National Colored League plays its first game, Gorhams 11 vs Keystones 8. The league will dissolve ten days later. |
| 07-17-1903 |
Dan McClellan is the first black pitcher to throw a perfect game, Cuban X-Giants 5 vs Penn Park Athletic Club of York 0. |
| 09-03-1906 |
The first Negro Championship Cup goes to the Philadelphia Giants 3 vs the Cuban X-Giants 2. |
| 02-13-1920 |
The first successful league, the National Negro Baseball League, is formed by Rube Foster. |
| 1924 |
The first "Negro World Series" is played between the Negro Eastern League and National Negro Leagues. |
| 1938 |
Chet Brewer is the first black-American player to enter the Mexican League. |
| 10-23-1945 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player to sign a formal / major league contract : Montreal Royals.
|
| 04-18-1946 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black minor leaguer (International League) in a game: Royals versus the Jersey City Little Giants.
|
| 04-15-1947 |
Jackie Robinson plays his first major league game as a Brooklyn Dodger becoming the first modern black player.
|
| 04-16-1947 |
Jackie Robinson plays his second game and gets the first hit by a black player - a bunt that he beats out.
|
| 06-24-1947 |
Jackie Robinson becomes the first black player to steal home plate as he gets his first of nineteen career home steals.
|
| 07-05-1947 |
Larry Doby is the first black player and pinch hitter in the American League: Cleveland Indians.
|
| 08-26-1947 |
Dan Bankhead is the first black pitcher to play in a major league game (Brooklyn Dodgers) AND the first black player to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. |
| 09-17-1947 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player to win a Rookie of the Year Award and does so during the award's first year it's ever issued.
|
| 09-30-1947 |
Jackie Robinson and Dan Bankhead are the first black players to appear in a World Series.
|
| 1947 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player to lead a league in stolen bases: National League 29.
|
| 04-20-1948 |
Roy Campanella becomes the first black catcher to make an appearance in a Major League baseball game behind the plate. |
| 04-27-1948 |
Roy Campanella becomes the first black catcher to start a Major League baseball game. |
| 08-13-1948 |
Satchel Paige is the first black pitcher in an American League game: Cleveland Indians (he shuts out Chicago). |
| 10-09-1948 |
Larry Doby is the first black player to hit a home run in a World Series game.
|
| 10-10-1948 |
Satchel Paige is the first black pitcher to pitch in a World Series game, he appears in relief and pitches 2/3 of an inning. |
| 1947 |
Sam Lacy of Baltimore is the first black sportswriter admitted to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). |
| 07-08-1949 |
Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Hank Thompson of the New York Giants are the first black pitcher and batter to face each other during a game. |
| 07-12-1949 |
Larry Doby is the first black American League All Star player.
|
| 07-12-1949 |
Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Don Newcombe are the first black National League All Star players.
|
| 11-18-1949 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player to win a Most Valuable Player Award.
|
| 1949 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player to lead a league in batting average: National League .342.
|
| 1949 |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher to win a Rookie of the Year Award. |
| 1951 |
Emmett Ashford is the first black umpire in organized baseball: Southwest International League. |
| 1951 |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher to lead a league in strikeouts: National Leaue 164. |
| 1951 |
Monte Irvin is the first black player to lead a league in runs batted in: National League 121. |
| 09-29-1951 |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher in either league to win twenty games (going 20-9 for the Brooklyn Dodgers) in a single season of play. |
| 10-01-1952 |
Joe Black of the Brooklyn Dodgers earns a victory versus the New York Yankees to become the first black pitcher to win a World Series game. |
| 1952 |
Larry Doby is the first black player to lead a league in home runs: American League 32.
|
| 1952 |
Larry Doby is the first black player to lead a league in slugging average: American League .541.
|
| 07-17-1954 |
The Brooklyn Dodgers field the first black majority team when five (Jim Gilliam 2b, Jackie Robinson 3b, Sandy Amoros lf, Roy Campanella c, and Don Newcombe p) of their nine play versus the Braves. |
| 05-12-1955 |
Sam Jones is the first black major league pitcher to throw a no-hitter. |
| |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher to win twenty games in a single season of play. |
| 1955 |
Roy Campanella is the first black player to win three Most Valuable Player Awards: 1951, 1953 & 1955. |
| 11-21-1956 |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher to win the Cy Young Award and does so during the award's first year it's ever issued. |
| 1956 |
Don Newcombe is the first black pitcher to lead either league in games won: National League 27. |
| 1959 |
Ernie Banks is the first black player to win two consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards: 1958 & 1959. |
| 04-17-1960 |
Sammy Drake of the Chicago Cubs plays his first major league game making the Drakes the first black brothers (Solly appeared with the Chicago Cubs on April 17, 1956) to play in the modern major leagues. |
| 1962 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black player enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
|
| 05-29-1962 |
Buck O'Neil is the first black major league baseball coach: Chicago Cubs. |
| 11-07-1963 |
Elston Howard is the first black player to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. |
| 1964 |
Willie Mays is the first black player chosen to be a team (San Francisco Giants) captain. |
| 03-17-1965 |
Jackie Robinson is the first black network broadcaster when ABC signs him to the baseball broadcast team.
|
| 04-11-1966 |
Emmett Ashford is the first black umpire in a major league game when Cleveland beats Washington 5-2. |
| 1966 |
Frank Robinson is only the twelfth player in history and the first black player to win the Triple Crown Award for hitting. |
| 09-01-1971 |
The Pittsburgh Pirates field the first all-black starting lineup: Al Oliver 1b, Rennie Stennett 2b, Jackie Hernandez ss, Dave Cash 3b, Manny Sanguillen c, Dock Ellis p, Gene Clines lf, Roberto Clemente cf, and Willie Stargell rf. |
| 04-08-1975 |
Frank Robinson manages his first game with the Indians and becomes the first black major league manager. |
| 1977 |
Bill Lucas of the Atlanta Braves is the first black major league general manager. |
| 1992 |
Cito Gaston of the Toronto Blue Jays is the first African American manager to ever win a world championship (1992 World Series) and one year later became the first to win two consecutive world championships (1993 World Series). |
| Date |
Event Description |
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Black Famous Baseball Firsts
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