Blacks in Baseball Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1869

The first Negro Championship series was called the World Colored Championship in 1869. It pitted two teams after a season of only 11 games. The Pythians and the Uniques both went undefeated, and the Pythians claimed the first crown. Two years later, and after the Pythians were continually beating white teams, their owner Octavius Catto, was murdered in cold blood.

The first organized and official Negro League was formed in 1920 by Rube Foster. The league had eight teams.

Answer: The first black player to play on a white team

Fowler was a 14-year old second baseman who went on to be in "Sporting Life" magazine's opinion, "one of the greatest black players that ever lived". His stardom was not created in the Negro Leagues, but on a professional white baseball team in 1872.

Answer: Bill White

White slipped past owners and passed himself off as non-colored, then played for the Providence Grays of the National League in the first game of the season in 1879. After many eye-opening inquiries, White was finished after only one game. The first baseman had four at-bats with one hit in his only game. Joe Start replaced White, and the Grays went on to win the National League.

In 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first black American Association player with the Toledo Blue Stockings.

Answer: Josh Gibson

The others all played in the Major League. Josh Gibson was a catcher, and a big hitting catcher at that. He played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords throughout his career. Gibson's Grays' teammate Buck Leonard, was also inducted into the hall in 1972, but Gibson's balloting numbers placed him as the first. Pitching great Satchel Paige also was Gibson's teammate on the Grays. Josh died in 1947, ironically the same year that Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier.

Answer: Cleveland Indians

The American League door was opened for Larry Doby, who the Indians signed as a free agent in 1947. After nine seasons, the Indians traded Doby to the White Sox for outfielder Jim Busby and infielder Chico Carrasquel.

Answer: Jackie Robinson

After joining the Dodgers in 1947 and winning the Rookie of the Year award, Jackie won the NL batting crown with a .342 average, helping him receive the MVP honors in 1949. Willie Mays duplicated Robinson's feats by being the Rookie of the Year in 1951, then winning his only batting title and first MVP in 1954.

Answer: Boston Red Sox

The last team was the Boston Red Sox, but that changed in 1959. The Red Sox signed Elijah Jerry 'Pumpsie' Green who was a utility infielder. Boston kept him for four seasons before letting him go to the New York Mets. Green retired in 1963 after five seasons.

Answer: Emmett Ashford

Ashford began his umpiring professional career in the Southwestern International League in 1951 at age 36. He later umpired for many seasons in the Pacific Coast League. The American League signed a contract with him in 1961, but it would take another five years before he would set foot on a Major League field wearing the blue. Ashford was a very animated umpire with his gestures. Emmett retired in 1970, then died in March 1980.

Answer: Don Newcombe

All these greats won 20 games in a season. Newcombe went 20-9 for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951. The third time he reached the 20-win mark, was the first season of the Cy Young award in 1956. Don's timing was perfect. Gibson and Grant both reached the milestone in 1965. Stewart won 20 in 1987 with Oakland. Sam 'Toothpick' Jones was the second black pitcher to win 20, when he went 21-15 with the 1959 San Francisco Giants.

Answer: ABC

ABC broke this color barrier in March 1965, three years after Robinson was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.