SPORTS HISTORY IN BLACK: Negro Leagues’ Sam Jethroe makes Major League Baseball debut

The Boston Braves major league baseball team was not integrated back in 1945. They
brought in Jackie Robinson, Sam Jethroe, and two other Negro League players for a
tryout. At that time, things did not work out. The team rejected integration back then.

Outfielder Sam Jethroe, then of the Cleveland Buckeyes, poses for a photo at the Polo Grounds in New York on July 29, 1947.  Photo credit: Matty Zimmerman, The Associated Press
Outfielder Sam Jethroe, then of the Cleveland Buckeyes, poses for a photo at the Polo Grounds in New York on July 29, 1947. Photo credit: Matty Zimmerman, The Associated Press

But five years later, the team tried again, bringing Jethroe back. On Apr. 18, 1950,
Jethroe made his Major League Baseball debut. He earned Rookie of the Year honors
and led the National League in stolen bases. Jethroe played until 1954, when he retired
from the game.

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