Pumpsie Green

Jul 21 1959:

The Boston Red Sox integrate with Pumpsie Green.

50 years ago today the integration of baseball was finally complete. Twelve years, three months and six days after Jackie took the field for the Dodgers. What took so long, Tom? Pumpsie hung around for five years after getting called up and went on to become a high school baseball coach and teacher. He's also got a Topps Rookie Cup and one of the best baseball names ever.

And just because:

Pumpsie Green was teammates with Chico Fernandez who was teammates with Jackie Robinson.

John Kennedy

Apr 22 1957

On this day 52 years ago, John Irvin Kennedy pinch ran for Solly Hemus of the Phillies to complete the integration of the National League. John ended up stranded on base. He would only play in five games for the Phils, would get no hits and scored one run. The Negro League star was stuck without a position as the Phillies had traded for Brooklyn shortstop Chico Fernandez right before the season started. I've seen some sources say Kennedy integrated the Phillies while others credit Chico who actually made his Phillie debut on April 16th, opening day. It doesn't really matter as the fact remains that both African American and Cuban players would have never been given a shot at playing in the majors just a decade earlier. Chico had a decent career in the majors and got a handful of cards to show for it. John Kennedy however is not featured on a single trading card as far as I'm aware. It's possible he has been featured in a recent oddball or regional set like Helmar, but if a card of him exists I haven't found it.

Can't some manufacturer step up to the plate and give John a card? Just one?

Sam Jethroe

Apr 18 1950 

Fifty-nine years ago today, Sam "The Jet" Jethroe made his debut as the first black player on the Boston Braves. Jet had power and speed and hit a home run in his first game with the Braves. Jethroe was a star with the Cleveland Buckeyes in the Negro Leagues. He led the league in batting twice, was a prolific base stealer and still had the ability to hit towering home runs. Jethroe won a World Series with the Buckeyes and played in the East-West All Star game while a Negro league player. Jethroe was one of the stars of the league and was very much qualified to play in the majors.   

He, along with Marvin Williams and Jackie Robinson,  was one of the three players involved in the infamous tryout for the Boston Red Sox in 1945. After Jackie's signing ended segregation in baseball, Jethroe signed with the Dodgers' farm club and played in Montreal in1948. Jet hit .326 with 17 homers, 89 stolen bases and 154 runs in his first full season with the Royals in 1949. Obviously Jet was more than ready for the majors, but the Dodgers simply didn't have a spot for him. They traded him to the Braves where he had a fantastic rookie year in 1950. He hit .273 with 18 homers and 100 runs scored while playing the outfield in Boston. He also led the league in stolen bases and won the Rookie of the Year award by a large margin over pitcher Bob Miller. 

His 1951 stats were even better than his rookie totals but in 1952 his production dipped sharply. He was sent down to the Braves' minor league team in Toledo where he had another solid season and blasted a monster homer over the 472 foot left field wall at the Toledo stadium. He was traded to the Pirates for the 1954 season, but only got one at bat with the big league club before being sent down for good. He spent 5 years playing quality baseball for Toronto of the International League before retiring in 1958 at the age of 40. 

The fact that there were players like Jethroe who were major league quality but were not allowed the opportunity to play in the majors during their prime frustrates me to no end. I like going over the stats of players from past eras and I always wonder what could Jet have done if he played in the 40's? I doubt he would hit .340 with 90 something stolen bases like he did in the Negro Leagues, but with those skills, I bet he could have put up some pretty nice numbers during his prime. I'm glad that Jet, unlike so many others, was at least given an opportunity to play in the bigs at least for a short time and that the Braves were willing to give him that shot.  

Nino Escalera & Chuck Harmon

April 17th 1954

Fifty five years ago the Cincinnati Reds were the 11th Major League team to integrate, seven years and two days after Jackie Robinson made his debut for Brooklyn. Two players made their debut that night, Nino Escalera and Chuck Harmon.

Saturnino Escalera had a very long career in baseball and is in the Puerto Rico Baseball Hall of Fame. He spent most of his career in Triple-A including a long stint in Cuba, but spent the 1954 season as a bench player for the Reds. He was primarily an outfielder and first baseman, but oddly enough played one inning at shortstop for the Reds. You don't see many left handed shortstops. Escalera was active in baseball after he retired, winning the Puerto Rico Winter League leage championship as manager in 1968 and had a long career as a scout for the Mets and for the Giants. He was the guy who signed Senor Smoke! I'd normally show off a card of Nino, but I don't have one. As far as I can tell, he only had one card ever printed: a 1977 Fritsch One Year Wonders card. You can check it out on his BR Bullpen page.

I've got a card of Chuck Harmon. Chuck spent four years in the National League with Cincinnati, St. Louis and Philadelphia. Chuck was primarily a third baseman, but also played at first and the outfield. Like Nino, Chuck was utilized mostly off the bench but had a nice 1955 season with 5 homers and 9 steals. After his playing days were over he was a scout for the Braves and Indians. Topps was kinder to Chuck than Nino and featured him in the 1954 though 1958 sets including in the 1955 Double Header set.

The two made their debut in a game against the Braves at County stadium. Both were used as pinch hitters in the seventh inning. Nino pinch hit for catcher Andy Seminick and knocked a single off of Lou Burdette. Harmon then pinch hit for the pitcher, Corky Valentine. Chuck popped up to first and Nino would be stranded on second after a double play. The Reds would end up losing the game 5-1, but had a historic night nonetheless.

There's some controversy on who was actually the first black player for the Reds. Some say Nino since he came into the came one batter before Chuck. Some say Harmon since he's the first African-American player for the Reds. Nino did get a hit in his debut, but Chuck lasted four years in the league. The Reds honored Harmon with a plaque at the Great American Ballpark in 2004 on the fiftieth anniversary of his debut. I say it's both. They were both on the roster when that game started and that's what counts. I just wish someone would put poor Nino on another card! The man is a pioneer, give him a card!

Integration of Baseball

62 years ago today Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. That seems really long ago yet not that long at all. The Indians and Browns would integrate later that same year. The Giants were next, but it took two more years. The Braves followed a year later in 1950. The White Sox a year after that. Then Eisenhower was elected. By the end of the 1953 season half the teams in the league had been integrated. Four teams in each league. Four more followed suit in 1954. The Yankees finally came around in 1955. 1956: Ike re-elected. The Phillies completed the National Leagues' integration in 1957, ten years and one week after Jackie first took the field. The Tigers integrated in 1958, leaving only the Red Sox. They finally called up Pumpsie on July 21st, 1959. Almost 50 years ago. Pumpsie beat Hawaii's statehood by a month. It still feels like a long time ago. But not really that long at all.