Black Baseball Players

Black baseball players have made a major impression on how baseball is played today. Whether it is the famous black baseball players who changed the face of history, or simply the first black baseball player who changed how people thought and opened the doors.

Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in the major leagues. As the first black major league baseball player, he helped break the color barrier in major league baseball and open the door for the other first black baseball players to the sport. By being the first black baseball player, he could fight the racism that was prominent at the time.

The great black baseball players of the past have a lot to thank Jackie Robinson for, as does the entire sport. Jackie Robinson started playing as the first black baseball player in 1947. He made such an impact on the sport that his number, 42, was retired and will never be worn again in a major league park.

The first professional black baseball player made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Rickey was the club president and general manager at the time, and he allowed Jackie Robinson his chance to play.

As the 1st black baseball player, Jackie Robinson needed plenty of courage to face the racism that was rampant at the time. He had a fiery temperament that he had to bottle up during his first years as the only black baseball player. His bravery to stand up for his rights allowed for the integration of the Negro leagues into the regular major leagues.

Jackie Robinson had an interesting career. He earned the minimum salary of $5000, which was the standard for rookies. His first year he played in 151 games to hit .297. He also led the National League in stolen bases, and was the first to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Ironically, Jackie Robinson played as a second baseman for most of his career, despite playing every game his first season at first base. Two years later he won the MVP award for the National League, and won his World Series ring at the 1955 World Series. He was supposed to be traded to the New York Giants after the 1956 season, but chose to retire instead. He ended up with a .311 career batting average and stole home more often than anyone else since World War I.

Many civil rights groups and fans of the Negro leagues keep up the history and tradition. You can find composites of lists of black baseball players, including the historical black baseball players that are still alive. Plus, the percentage of black players in baseball is currently around 9%. This is actually a drop from previous years, as it was 27% in 1975. For the history of black baseball players, you can visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The Baseball Hall of Fame has also worked to integrate the black all-star baseball players into its halls as well.