Montreal royals

The stateside impact of World War II on the game of baseball created first economic challenges and ultimately unavoidable issues of conscience that eventually led to integration. […]

The first, and little known, Major League tryout for black players was arranged by Wendell Smith, a black sportswriter for the Pittsburgh Courier, and took place at Fenway Park on April 16, 1945 – two years before the color barrier was broken. […]