BHM & Baseball: 5 Barrier Breakers to Remember and Celebrate

As a tribute to Black people who’ve excelled in my first and most successful sport, here’s a short list of past and present-day barrier breakers in baseball:

1. Jackie Robinson West (2014 little league baseball team). It’s been nearly 7 years since an all-Black little league team from the Southside of Chicago won the US Little League World Series (LLWS) championship. Prior to a controversial ending that stripped the team of all wins, they broke racial barriers, gave inspiration to Black athletes, and exposed hypocrisies in the BIG business of youth sports.
2. Mo’ne Davis (2014 little league baseball player). The same year that Jackie Robinson West won the US LLWS, a Black girl named Mo’ne broke racial and gender barriers in baseball. She was the first Black girl to play in a LLWS game and the first girl to win by pitching a shutout in the LLWS.
3. Henry “Hank” Aaron (the “real" home run king.) He overcame extreme racism to hit 715 home runs in 1974 and break the Major League Baseball (MLB) record. This historic feat turned him into an instant and enduring sports icon, but he arguably had an even bigger impact on Black culture off the field through his admirable courage and character.
4. Jackie Robinson (first Black MLB player). Many sports fans know how Jackie Robinson broke pro baseball’s racial barrier in 1947, which led to Black athletes playing on teams with his name and Black actors like Chadwick Boseman (RIP) portraying him in films like the biopic 42. Less people may know how Jackie Robinson boldly and actively participated in activism to show how much Black lives matter on and off the field.
5. Negro League Players (1880s to 1940s). MLB’s recent decision to recognize the stats of Negro League players has received applause and criticism. After all, the creativity, courage, and character of Black baseball players (really Black people, in general) has always been worthy of respect rather than racism.

— Leroy Long III, PhD

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