On May 1, 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker took the field for the Toledo Blue Stockings, becoming the first known African American to play Major League Baseball. Playing as a catcher, Walker faced enormous racism, including threats and attempts to keep him off the team. His brief but groundbreaking presence predated Jackie Robinson by over 60 years. Walker’s career was short-lived due to pervasive racial hostility and the eventual implementation of baseball’s “color line,” which wouldn’t be broken again until 1947. Still, his courage in facing openly hostile crowds and teammates made him a foundational figure in the history of racial integration in sports.
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