As the Major League Baseball season is in the early days of this season, the WWNTK newsletter wanted to share some of the history of Black players in the game…
Jackie Robinson may have been the first Black player in the American or National League, but the first Black man to play professional baseball predated Mr. Robinson by more than 60 years.
John W. Jackson Jr., better known as “Bud Fowler,” made his pro debut in 1878 in the International Association. He is believed to be the first Black player to play pro baseball.
Born John W. Jackson Jr. in Fort Plain, N.Y., on March 16, 1858, Fowler’s family moved to Cooperstown – located about a half hour from Fort Plain – just a few short years later.