This week as part of Black History Month, we look back at the pioneers of Baseball and those that came 1st in Major League Baseball for each team. Today we celebrate Carlos Paula, Elston Howard and John Kennedy.
September 6th 1954 featured the debut of Carlos Paula on the Washington Senators, "Mr. (Clark) Griffith would give Washington fans dark players from other lands, but never an American Negro." observed Shirley Povich of the Washington Post.
April 14th 1955 and the New York Yankees introduce Elston Howard to their lineup, who would go on to star for 13 years including an MVP award in 1963
April 22nd 1957 brought John Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies. 10 years to the day of Ben Chapman taunting Jackie Robinson, Kennedy would debut. He would play a total of 5 games and only have two at bats.
