The Color Barrier in Baseball

The first person to actually break the color barrier in baseball was Jackie Robinson. He was the first African American to play professional baseball. Larry Doby also broke the color barrier, but in the American League Robinson was in the National League. When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier it was in the 20th century. In 1919, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Chicago White Sox in the World Series. The next year 8 White Sox players who were black were accused of throwing (trying to loose) the World Series in return for money. Baseball commissioner Kensaw Mountain Landis banned the 8 players from baseball. As a result, until the mid 1940's black players were not allowed to play in the Major League. Instead, they played in leagues made only for blacks also known as The Negro Leagues. As segregation emerged and so did baseball's color barrier.
In 1887, white players began refusing to play against teams with black players.
By 1892, African Americans were no longer welcome in organized baseball. In 1947 during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies racial comments were being yelled at Robinson and one of his teammates yelled at the Phillies "Why don't you yell at somebody who can answer back?" After this more of the Dodgers leaped to Robinson's defense.
Rickey had told Robinson that if he could win the teams respect and get the players to stand behind him, the bid to integrate baseball would begin.

Jackie Robinson Playing Football for UCLA

Jackie Robinson Breaks The Color Barrier in 1947

Jackie Robinson Doing Track And Field at UCLA