Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site mb2c.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!mb2c!mlt From: mlt@mb2c.UUCP (Mark L. Tompkins) Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball Subject: Re: First Black Baseball Player Message-ID: <320@mb2c.UUCP> Date: Tue, 5-Nov-85 07:21:48 EST Article-I.D.: mb2c.320 Posted: Tue Nov 5 07:21:48 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 04:25:19 EST Organization: Michigan Bell, Southfield, MI Lines: 23 >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