Celebrating Black Baseball Pitchers Who Made History

In honor of Black History Month we’re celebrating some of the greatest black pitchers in baseball history From Satchel Paige to CC Sabathia, these pitchers made a huge impact on the game.

Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history and his story is one of determination, courage, and perseverance. Born in Mobile, Alabama in 1906, he was one of the most successful Negro League Baseball players of his generation. He played for many teams throughout his career, but is best remembered for his stint with the Cleveland Indians from 1948 to 1949. During his time with the Indians, he helped the team win the World Series and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron was a right fielder who played 23 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1954 through 1976. He spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves in the National League (1954–74) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (1975–76). Aaron held the MLB record for career home runs for 33 years, and he is still the all-time leader in RBIs with 2,297.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first Black Player in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern ERA He broke the color barrier on April 15, 1947, when he played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers Robinson went on to have an illustrious MLB career, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and being named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1949. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Willie Mays

Willie Mays, nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid”, is an American former professional baseball player who spent almost all of his 22-season career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants before finishing his career with the New York Mets Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Mays ranks fifth all-time in home runs (660) and sixth all-time in Total Bases (5,373). He won two National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, was a 24-time All-Star selected to play in a record 20 All-Star Games, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He had a batting average over .300 for 15 seasons and hit over 50 home runs in a season four times. Mays is one of only four outfielders to have won both the National League MVP Award and the World Series MVP award in the same season (1954). He was named the Say Hey Kid because of his friendly demeanor and signature catchphrase.

Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson is a former professional baseball player who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. Gibson is perhaps best known for his stellar performance in the 1968 World Series when he pitched three complete game victories and posted a record-low earned run average of 1.12. He was named the World Series MVP and won the National League Cy Young Award that year. In his career, Gibson won nine Gold Glove Awards four NL pennants, and two World Series titles.

Curt Flood

Curt Flood was one of the most important black baseball players of his era. He was a key member of the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the 1964 World Series and he was also a three-time All-Star. In 1970, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and he refused to report, saying that he wanted to be treated like a human being and not a piece of property. He challenged the reserve clause in court, and though he lost his case, his courageous stand paved the way for Free agency in baseball.

Darryl Strawberry

Darryl Strawberry was one of the most dominant players of his era, and one of the most stylish Hitters Baseball has ever seen. He won four World Series titles with the New York Yankees and was a 8-time All-Star. But what many people don’t know is that Darryl also made history as one of the game’s preeminent black pitchers.

Darryl began his career as a right-handed pitcher in the minor leagues, and was called up to the Yankees in 1984 as a relief pitcher He made his Major League debut on June 15th, 1984, against the Baltimore Orioles and went on to pitch in 11 games that season.

In 1985, Darryl transitioned to outfield and first base, where he became a star hitter. But he continued to pitch occasionally, appearing in 13 games over the course of his career. In all, he pitched 47 innings, recording a 3.97 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He even picked up a save in 1986 against the Boston Red Sox

Darryl Strawberry was not only one of the great hitters of his generation, but also one of the first black pitchers in Major League Baseball history. He paved the way for future generations of black pitchers, and remains an inspiration to this day.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the most successful baseball players of all time. He was a 13-time All-Star, 10-time Silver Slugger winner, and the 1997 American League MVP. Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

But Griffey Jr. isn’t just a great player — he’s also an important figure in the history of Black Baseball pitchers. As ESPN writer Buster Olney noted in a 2016 article, “In his march to 3,000 hits and 630 Home Runs Ken Griffey Jr. also helped break down one of baseball’s long-standing barriers.”

Griffey Jr. was born inDonora, Pennsylvania in 1969, the same year as fellow future MLB Derek Jeter But while Jeter would go on to play for George Steinbrenner’s New York Yankees Griffey Jr.’s career began with the Seattle Mariners a team that had only been in existence for six years at that point. (The Mariners would not make it to the playoffs until 1995, the year after Griffey Jr.’s arrival.)

Griffey Jr.’s father, Ken Griffey Sr., had also been a professional baseball player — but he had never made it to the majors. In contrast, Ken Griffey Jr.’s talent was immediately apparent; he made his MLB debut at age 19 and became an All-Star by age 21. In his 22 seasons with the Mariners, Griffey Jr. hit .284 with 417 home runs and 1,216 RBIs. He is widely considered one of the best players in franchise history.

Griffey Jr.’s impact went beyond his individual stats, though. As Olney writes, “Before there was Barack Obama becoming president or Tiger Woods as a dominant force in golf or Serena Williams as one of tennis’ great players… there was Ken Griffey Jr., transcending race as one of baseball’s signature stars.” In other words, Griffey Jr.’s success helped pave the way for other black athletes to achieve prominence in traditionally white sports leagues like MLB, NBA, and NHL.

When asked about this responsibility in a 2016 interview with Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim, Griffey Jr. downplayed his role as a trailblazer: “I’m not comfortable with [the suggestion that]I opened doors,” he said.”I’m just happy I got mine before they closed again.” Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that Ken Griffey Jr.’s achievements have had a lasting impact on the Game of Baseball — and on society as a whole

Albert Belle

Albert Belle was a five-time All-Star who played for the Cleveland Indians the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles He was one of the most feared hitters of his generation, and holds the record for highest single-season Slugging percentage (.690) and OPS (1.176). But Belle was also an excellent pitcher, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.48 ERA in four starts during his career. In 1995, he became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same season. Belle is one of only four players to have ever accomplished this feat.

Sammy Sosa

Sammy Sosa is a former professional baseball right fielder who played for various teams over his 18-year career in major league baseball (MLB). He is best known for his time with the Chicago Cubs with whom he hit 609 home runs and helped lead the team to the playoffs in 1998. He also played for the Baltimore Orioles Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins. Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2007.

Sosa’s MLB career began in 1989 with the Texas Rangers He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1991, but he only played in 11 games for them before being traded back to the Rangers. He remained with Texas until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1992. Sosa became one of the most popular players in baseball while with the Cubs, setting several team and league records. In 1998, he and fellow Cubs player Mark McGwire were involved in a highly publicized chase to break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record; McGwire ultimately set the record while Sosa finished second. In 1999, Sosa was voted National League Most Valuable Player after hitting 66 home runs it was the second time he had won this award.

Following his departure from the Cubs after the 2004 season, Sosa’s career declined rapidly. He was affected by allegations of steroid use and his production diminished greatly. He was traded to various teams over his final years before retiring from MLB altogether in 2007.