July 21, 1959: Pumpsie Green First African American to Play for Red Sox
On this day in 1959, Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” Green made his debut as the first African American man to ever play for the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were the last team in the major leagues to become racially integrated, after opting not to sign other black baseball legends like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays in the past. Green stayed with the Red Sox for four seasons, then signed on as a sub for the New York Mets before retiring.
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