Negro League Baseball

         Much like everything else in the 1870's there was major segregation in Major League Baseball.  Baseball was a white mans sport because African Americans and Latinos were not allowed to play with them.  Owners of many teams felt strongly towards the topic of having blacks play in the same league.  They were very against it.  Some of those that weren't wanted because of their skin color decided that they weren't going to stop just because some white people said that they can't play baseball.  So, they made their own league.  Negro League Baseball.  This is where any blacks and some Latinos can come and play for the fun of the game.
         One brave soul by the name of Bud Fowler was the first ever African American to play in the major leagues.  Even though it was only the minor leagues it showed a huge acceptance of what is to come.  However, Fowler and a few other men only stood the test of time for a while because there was so much hate that was being brought to the games that all of the teams owners agreed to not sign anymore black players in 1887.  The Negro Leagues were closed down because of a lack of money in 1962.  This did not come at a huge loss though because they did put out some of the best baseball players of the time.
         Many may not know that Jackie Robinson was not actually the first African American to play in the MLB.  It was actually a man named Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother Welday Wilburforce Walker.  They both played for the 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings.
         However, Jackie Robinson was by far the best player to come out of the league.  Robinson was a second basemen who was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He made his debut in 1947 at first base.  He would be humiliated and abused for being black.  People would slide feet first back into the bag and sink their metal cleats deep into his legs.  Robinson broke the color line in baseball none the less and was a great player along the way.  He is a six time All Star and got his number 42 retired forever.