Ernie Banks and Gene Baker
*The Chicago Cubs baseball team integrated their team on this date in 1953. Former Kansas City Monarchs Gene Baker and Ernie Banks debuted together as the Cubs' double-play combination that day.
A shortstop stuck playing second base, Baker led N. L. second basemen in errors his first three seasons. In 1961 he was named manager of the Batavia, N. Y., minor league team, becoming the first Black manager in organized baseball.
Meanwhile, Banks who was signed for the Cubs by his Monarchs manager, Buck O'Neil went on to hit 512 home runs and win two MVP awards in a Hall of Fame career.
Reference:
20th Century Baseball Chronicle
Year-By-Year History of major league Baseball
Copyright 1999, Publications International Ltd.
ISBN 0-7853-4074-2
