| It was the Cuban Giants that was hailed as the | | | | Giants that we talked about in the beginning that |
| first professional team in 1885, nearly forty years | | | | was named to be accepted by white |
| after the first set of rules were established for | | | | organizations. It was a great idea and even |
| the game baseball for white players. Just as | | | | though the United States has spent the last 40 |
| Alexander Cartwright was the first pioneer of the | | | | plus years having issues with Cuba, during this |
| game, so was Octavius Catto for the Negro | | | | time the two countries were considered friends. |
| Leagues. It wasn't until 1860 that two black | | | | Unfortunately, in 1887 the domino effect began |
| teams played their first baseball game on the | | | | and as teams refused to play those that had |
| same Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. | | | | black players on them, a levy was passed to |
| Many times you will hear people say that | | | | consider all black athletes as possible problems for |
| everything happens for a reason. While the war | | | | the game and eventually was restricted from |
| wasn't fought to help baseball, the fact of players | | | | playing in the American Association and the |
| turned into soldiers spreading the game wherever | | | | National League. It was a major blow for |
| they were stationed became one of the main | | | | African-American athletes, but a necessary one |
| reasons the whole country knew about baseball | | | | for the years to come. |
| by the end of the war in 1865. In doing so, it also | | | | By the time that the segregation of black athletes |
| helped create teams on the eastern border that | | | | was over with the debut of Jackie Robinson in |
| were made up of former cricket players and | | | | 1947, it had been almost seventy-five years since |
| former soldiers. | | | | black men were trying to be equal. Bud Fowler, |
| This was around the time that Catto stepped in, | | | | who had started the journey for |
| and integration in baseball between both black and | | | | African-Americans players, and Octavius Catto, |
| white players formally began. After applying to | | | | who applied for a team in the AA during a time |
| the National Association of Base Ball Players, a | | | | that wouldn't even allow it, Robinson made them |
| prior rule had already passed that would not allow | | | | all proud on his historic day. |
| any teams to be in the league that had a black | | | | Many don't know, but baseball schooling around |
| player on their team. While this was a setback, | | | | the country tells us that three years prior to the |
| eventually it helped promote the Negro teams by | | | | Robinson debut, something else happened. In |
| allowing them to play white teams. | | | | 1944, Bill Veeck was trying to purchase a team |
| Winning games of this magnitude was the | | | | and go into baseball management because he had |
| epitome of pride by either side as change was | | | | already had plans of fielding an entire team of |
| happening and not everyone was in tuned to the | | | | black athletes from the Negro Leagues, but that |
| transition. Catto was killed leaving a school in 1871 | | | | idea was eventually squashed by Judge Landis. |
| at the hands of a white man, and thus stamping | | | | The same man banned 8 players from the 1919 |
| his name on black baseball for eternity. It took | | | | Black Sox scandal that rocked the baseball world. |
| seven more years before the first professional | | | | Soon thereafter, the Influenza Pandemic surfaced |
| black player made his way onto the field (Bud | | | | and spread across the world killing millions of |
| Fowler). | | | | people. This was a year before the National Negro |
| Fowler was the start of almost a dozen players | | | | League came into existence. It really makes you |
| who were in and out of professional baseball | | | | wonder how things that happened in the world |
| through the 1882 season. The National League | | | | could transform something like the game of |
| was finally contested the same year as the | | | | baseball. |
| American Association was formed and the Walker | | | | However, it wasn't long after Robinson entered |
| brothers became the first black major leaguers | | | | the major leagues that black athletes all over |
| after their team hopped on the train for the ride. | | | | were surfacing and were here to stay forever. |
| It's unfortunate, but during this time actually | | | | While great things came to be, all good things had |
| playing became and issue, as teams would find | | | | to come to an end and the final years of the |
| any reason they could to get rid of the black | | | | Negro Leagues dwindled until the final game was |
| players. | | | | played in 1958, but more as a minor league game |
| While the stalemate would continue for black | | | | than anything else. It was again something that |
| athletes to get a taste of the National League, | | | | had to be done as the future of the United |
| African-Americans tried to take alternate routes | | | | States became about integration instead of |
| to get into the major leagues. Enter the Cuban | | | | segregation. |