Course Details
923: Breaking Baseball's Color Line: From Jackie Robinson to Pumpsie Green
February 3-6, 2020
1:45 PM -
3:15 PM
In-Person
The unwritten rule that prevented blacks from playing major league baseball ended in 1947 with Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It took the original 16 major league baseball teams 12 years to integrate, culminating with Pumpsie Green debuting with the Boston Red Sox in 1959. This Study Group will examine the lives and careers of the 15 players who were the first for each team (yes, there was one man who was the first for two teams). The players include four members of the Hall of Fame, and several who had the proverbial cup of coffee.
Class Type: Lecture and Discussion
Class Format: TBA
Hours of Reading: No reading
Study Group Leader(s):
Stephen KlatskyStephen Klatsky was born in the Bronx and grew up 11 blocks from Yankee Stadium. He has been a life-long baseball fan. A frequent OLLI Study Group Leader on Baseball. Klatsky was a vendor at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, during High School, sold tickets for the Potomac Nationals and attended the first ever Nationals spring training game.