Thanks for the info, Adam.
Happy Jackie Robinson Day. Here Jackie is the welcoming committee for the first black pitcher, Dan Bankhead.
In 1947, after Jackie Robinson had broken Major League Baseball’s color barrier, Dodgers’ General Manager Branch Rickey needed to find more pitching talent for Brooklyn to make a push for the pennant. Eventually, Rickey and his scouts decided on the red-hot right hander from Memphis. In the end, the Dodgers paid $15,000 to sign Bankhead. The Alabama Tribune reported on the signing with a story titled “Red Sox Ace First Hurler in ‘Majors.’” In the story, the Tribune reported:
“Bankhead while under close scrutiny by the eagle-eyed Rickey and his veteran scout, George Sisler, last Friday night at Martin Stadium gave impressive account of himself as he struck out eleven batters to win over the Birmingham Black Barons 7 to 2. He has struck out 113 batters in 109 innings.”
Bankhead soon found himself in New York, as a teammate and roommate of Jackie Robinson, and the first African American pitcher to pitch in the Major Leagues. He made his debut on August 26, 1947 at Ebbets Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his debut, Bankhead struggled. He gave up ten hits and eight runs in three and one third innings. The Dodgers went on to lose 16-3. In fact, Bankhead batted much better than he pitched, hitting a homerun in his first appearance. The Daily News the following day ran the headline, “Pirates Overwhelm Flock, 16-3 Bankhead Routed, Hits HR.” The story also said, “Bankhead entered to the accompaniment of a standing ovation.”
Source:
tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/dan-bankhead