Emmett Ashford broke a significant color barrier in Major League Baseball by becoming the league’s first Black umpire 50 years ago this week. Ashford was inspired by a previous barrier breaker in Jackie Robinson, and was determined to make his mark on history in similar fashion. Ashford was born November 23, 1914 in Los […]
In a sad story reported earlier this week, former Major League Baseball player Darryl Hamilton, 50, who was an on-air personality for the MLB Network, was shot and killed by his girlfriend Monica Jordan (pictured) in her Houston home. She then turned the gun on herself. Their 13-month-old son was at the scene but was […]
Former Major League Baseball player Darryl Hamilton was found dead in a home just outside of Houston. “According to a report from Pearland police,…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated even in space this year. While Rachel Robinson, the player’s 92-year-old widow, and Commissioner Rob Manfred honored Major League Baseball’s first black player in a ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night in conjunction with the annual Civil Rights Game, astronaut Terry Virts wore a Dodgers […]
Minnie Minoso, Chicago’s first Major League Baseball’s star died last Sunday at the age of 90. A native of Cuba, Minoso was also the MLB’s first Latino star, paving the way for other Black-Latino greats such as Roberto Clemente, Juan Marichal, David Ortiz, and Pedro Martinez. Saturnino Orestes Armas Miñoso Arrieta was born November […]
Frank Robinson enjoyed a stellar 20-year career in Major League Baseball, winning countless awards and breaking racial barriers. Although Robinson was raised primarily in Oakland, Calif., he was born in Beaumont, Texas. Robinson was born on August 31, 1935. His family moved to West Oakland and the young Robinson starred as a baseball and […]
Derek Jeter capped his Yankee Stadium farewell with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, the latest — and perhaps last — storybook moment of his charmed and illustrious career, to give New York a 6-5 victory Thursday night over the Baltimore Orioles. Serenaded with adoring chants that echoed through the Bronx […]
William “Bill” Lucas was a pioneer in Major League Baseball as the game’s first African-American manager. Lucas was the “skipper” of the Atlanta Braves, holding the position for three years. Lucas was born in Jacksonville, Fla. on January 25, 1936. Lucas attended Florida A&M University, and was signed by the Milwaukee Braves when he left […]
Negro League Baseball and its storied legacy rightfully began in the late 1880s, but on this day in 1920, Andrew “Rube” Foster, known universally as the “father of Black baseball,” established the Negro National League (NNL) and held its first game in Indianapolis. Foster was considered by many the best Black pitcher of his time, […]
PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — The light touch of a paint roller is enough to dislodge a chunk of plaster from the crumbling walls of Hinchliffe Stadium. Though silent for decades, the former home of several Negro Leagues teams is getting another chance at bat as baseball’s first National Historic Landmark. Historians, volunteers, activists and a […]
This month marks the 40th anniversary of baseball legend Hank Aaron’s home run record. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record by hitting his 715th home run for the Atlanta Braves. In front of 50,000 fans, in the Atlanta Braves season opener, Aaron hit the record home run at Fulton County Stadium. Hank […]
His nicknames were as magical as his game. Ozzie Smith, “The Wizard,” or “The Wizard of Oz,” is a retired major league baseball legend who holds the record for career assists (8,375) at shortstop. A 15-time All-Star, 13-time Golden Glove winner and Baseball Hall of Famer, Smith also holds the National League record of 2,511 […]
