evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) (11/04/85)
Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? Has everybody else seen that question? The answer is some other guy whose name escapes me, but whom I had never heard of. Is that just one of their blunders, or is there more going on here than I know about? --Evan Marcus -- {ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan Who messed with my anti-paranoia shot?
mlt@mb2c.UUCP (Mark L. Tompkins) (11/05/85)
>Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct >tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. >Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it is some other guy? Has >everybody else seen that question? >--Evan Marcus Yes, I have run across that question in the course of playing T.P., and must admit I was very surprised. But the whole key to the question is the wording. The question reads something to the effect of, "Who was the first black *professional* baseball player?". Jackie Robinson was the first black player talented enough ( and fortunate enough, for those days ) to reach the *major leagues*. The word "professional" encompasses every- thing between semi-pro ball and the majors. My guess would be that Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first black player to be paid to play baseball; at what level of professional baseball that occured, I have no idea. Perhaps we should write the folks at Trivial Pursuit and ask them for whatever info they have on Mr. Walker. Mark Tompkins epsilon!mb2c!mlt
nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) (11/05/85)
>Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct >tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. >Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? Has >everybody else seen that question? The answer is some other guy >whose name escapes me, but whom I had never heard of. If it is Larry Doby, it refers to the first black in the American League. Otherwise, it may refer to the first black to play pro baseball in the minors (I forget who that was, but I don't think he ever made it to the major leagues). -- James C. Armstrong, Jnr. {ihnp4,cbosgd,akgua}!abnji!nyssa "All these corridors look the same to me!" Who said it, what story?
gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) (11/05/85)
-- > Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct > tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. > > Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? While on this subject, who was the first Hispanic major-leaguer? -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 05 Nov 85 [15 Brumaire An CXCIV] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7753 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken *** ***
citrin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Wayne Citrin) (11/06/85)
Back in the 1800's, at least one black ballplayer was signed by a major league team and played in games. Apparently they were little noted at the time and were quickly forgotten. I don't remember the name(s), but I believe that the teams in they played for were not in the National League, but were either in the American Association or the Union Association. Some baseball historian out there should be able to help out. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)
marvinm@ttidcb.UUCP (Marvin Moskowitz) (11/07/85)
In article <544@petfe.UUCP> evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) writes: >Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct >tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. > >Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? Has >everybody else seen that question? The answer is some other guy >whose name escapes me, but whom I had never heard of. Satchell Paige, by chance? > >Is that just one of their blunders, or is there more going on here >than I know about? Yes, there is more going on than you know about. Its called the popularization of history into a media-attractive form. But there ARE wrong answers in T.P. > >--Evan Marcus >-- >{ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan > ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan > >Who messed with my anti-paranoia shot? I DID!! Want to make something of it, pipsqueak (=:
evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) (11/07/85)
In <544@petfe.UUCP> I asked about the first black baseball player because I remembered the Trivial Pursuit card which said it was not Jackie Robinson. I have been inundated with responses, including mention of Larry Doby (the first Black in the AL), and lots of other suggestions. Well, last night I went home and dug out the Trivial Pursuit card with the question on it. It reads, "Who was the first black to play major league baseball?" The answer is: "Moses Fleetwood Walker". NOW does anybody have an answer or suggestion as to who this guy is???? --Evan Marcus -- {ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan Who messed with my anti-paranoia shot?
bobn@bmcg.UUCP (Bob Nebert) (11/08/85)
> -- > > Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct > > tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. > > > > Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? > I forgot right now bE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
das@ucla-cs.UUCP (11/08/85)
In article <544@petfe.UUCP> evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus) writes: >Who was the first black ballplayer? My history books and my instinct >tells me the obvious answer: Jackie Robinson. > >Why then does Trivial Pursuit say that it was some other guy? Because it WAS some other guy. As I posted last year, Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first black major leaguer (for Toledo, I think), in the American Association. This was in the early 1880's. His brother was the second, and there were about a half dozen more. Surprisingly, they played in quite a few games where there was little racial antagonism. Not so surprisingly, they played in many games where there was quite a bit. Cap Anson of Chicago, the premier ballplayer of his day, was a virulent racist, and through such actions as refusing to take the field against black players, forced the league to stop signing them; the last black major leaguer before Jackie Robinson left the league in the late 1880's. -- David Smallberg, das@locus.ucla.edu, {ihnp4,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!das
ugclemon@sunybcs.UUCP (Robert Clemons) (11/21/85)
My copy of The Encyclopedia of Baseball agrees with Trivial Pursuit. If I remember correctly, Moses Fleetwood Walker played for Toledo of the American Association in 1884. The A.A. was a major league at the time. There were other black players back in those days but none were given the chance to distinguish themselves. Hall of Famer Cap Anson succesfully purged the majors of black players by the turn of the century.