In the Majors 63 Years Before Jackie Robinson

Fact check

The facts and where they come from

1. He broke baseball’s color line: in 1884 he was the first to play major league baseball openly as a Black man. SABR: “Moses Fleetwood Walker of the 1884 Toledo team is, without question, the first to play major league baseball openly as a black man.” Wikipedia: he “was the first to be open about his black heritage despite the widespread prejudice.” 13
2. Sixty-three years before Jackie Robinson. History.com: “Sixty-three years before Jackie Robinson became the first African American in the modern era to play in a Major League Baseball game, Moses Fleetwood Walker debuted in the league on May 1, 1884, with the Toledo Blue Stockings.” SABR: “separated by 63 years.” Oberlin’s Observer: he “beat Jackie Robinson to the majors by 63 years.” 415
3. But history forgot him. Oberlin’s Observer: “Walker’s baseball accomplishments were generally forgotten.” The Toledo Blade: “Mr. Walker is largely forgotten today.” SABR asks: “Why then does the myth persist that Jackie Robinson was first?” 571
4. His name was Moses Fleetwood Walker (Wikipedia; SABR). 31
5. In 1884 he became a major league catcher in Toledo, with the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American Association. Wikipedia: “Walker’s first appearance as a major league ballplayer was an away game against the Louisville Eclipse on May 1, 1884.” 314
6. He often caught barehanded, until his fingers split and bled. SABR, quoting a batboy: “more often he caught barehanded.” Malloy: “recalled the sight of Walker catching barehanded, as was common in those days, with his fingers split open and bleeding.” Oberlin’s Observer: “Gloves were not used then and contemporary accounts describe Moses Walker’s swollen hands and split, bleeding fingers.” The Toledo marker: “As a barehanded catcher.” 1259
7. His own pitcher, Tony Mullane, admitted ignoring his signals because Walker was Black. In an interview in the New York Age of January 11, 1919 (quoted by SABR; History.com gives a slightly different transcription), Mullane called Walker the best catcher he ever worked with, but said that because of his dislike of Black people he pitched whatever he wanted without looking at Walker’s signals. 143
8. Walker caught him anyway, never knowing what was coming: Mullane said that for the rest of that season Walker caught anything he pitched without knowing what was coming (SABR). 1
9. A letter threatened a mob of 75 men, before Toledo’s trip to Richmond, Virginia, in September 1884. The letter of September 5, 1884 (SABR): “we could mention the names of 75 determined men who have sworn to mob Walker if he comes to the ground in a suit.” History.com: “a letter declaring that a lynch mob of 75 men would attack Walker if he tried to take the field.” 14
10. Then injuries ended his season. SABR: “He played in just six games after July 12 and was finally released on September 22. He never returned to the major leagues.” Wikipedia: “42 games total, before injuries led to his release.” History.com names a broken rib. 134
11. In 1887 Chicago’s star Cap Anson refused to play against him, at an exhibition game in Newark on July 14, 1887 (Malloy); Walker and George Stovey were held out. SABR: “On Anson’s demand, neither Walker nor Stovey played.” History.com calls Anson “one of the most dominant white MLB players of the era”: “Walker and his Black teammate, George Stovey, ended up on the bench.” 124
12. That same day, his league, the International League, voted to stop signing Black players. Malloy: “On the same day that Anson succeeded in removing the ‘colored battery,’ the directors of the International League met in Buffalo,” and “the board finally directed Secretary White to approve of no more contracts with colored men”; six teams voted for, four against. SABR: “That same day, the International League acted not to approve the contracts of additional black players.” 21
13. The majors stayed all-white until 1947. Wikipedia: Walker was “the last African-American to participate on the major league level before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line in 1947.” SABR, quoting John Thorn: “He would be the last black player in the major leagues until 1947.” History.com describes a “gentlemen’s agreement.” 314
14. He later wrote a book, Our Home Colony (1908), urging Black Americans to leave for Africa. Lemelson-MIT: “In his writing, Walker expresses defeat and urges Black people to leave the U.S. in search of better opportunities in Africa.” History.com: “where he urged African Americans to return to Africa.” Oberlin’s Observer: he “advocated a back-to-Africa policy.” 6451
15. He died in 1924. SABR: “On May 11, 1924, Moses Fleetwood Walker died at his Cleveland home of lobar pneumonia.” 13
16. His grave, in Union Cemetery, Steubenville, Ohio, had no headstone. Oberlin’s Observer: the stone was “set up over the previously unmarked grave of Oberlin alumnus Moses Fleetwood Walker.” SABR: “He was buried, in a grave unmarked until 1991, at Union Cemetery in Steubenville, Ohio.” 517
17. Decades later, his old college’s alumni gave him one: Oberlin’s Heisman Club, in November 1990. Oberlin’s Observer: “The Heisman Club--an alumni support group for athletics”; “The club donated the headstone”; the stone reads in part “First black major league baseball player in USA.” The Toledo Blade: “In 1990 … the Oberlin Heisman Club paid for a headstone for his previously unmarked grave.” 57
18. Today a marker in Toledo says what history forgot: he was the first. Ohio Historical Marker 47-48 (2003), outside the Mud Hens’ ballpark, Fifth Third Field, says he “became the first African American major league ballplayer when Toledo joined the Major League-sanctioned American Association” (photo, 2024). Lemelson-MIT: “The minor league Toledo Mud Hens have posted a historical marker outside their ballpark chronicling Walker’s career.” 96
19. He also patented inventions: an artillery shell in 1891, and three devices for changing movie reels. Lemelson-MIT: “In 1891, Walker designed and patented an outer casing for an artillery shell”; “In total, he received four patents.” SABR: “he patented three inventions for improving the changing of movie reels. Coupled with an earlier patent for an exploding artillery shell.” 618
20. He studied at Oberlin College and the University of Michigan. Wikipedia: he was “a star athlete at Oberlin College as well as the University of Michigan.” 315

Sources

1. Moses Fleetwood Walker (SABR biography by John R. Husman) Society for American Baseball Research
2. Out at Home: Baseball Draws the Color Line, 1887 (Jerry Malloy, The National Pastime, 1983) Society for American Baseball Research
3. Moses Fleetwood Walker Wikipedia
4. 6 Decades Before Jackie Robinson, This Man Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier History.com
5. Alumnus was first black major leaguer (John Appley, The Observer, November 7, 1990) Oberlin College Archives
6. Moses Fleetwood Walker Lemelson-MIT
7. Bill aims to honor groundbreaking Toledo player (February 23, 2014) The Toledo Blade
8. Moses Fleetwood Walker: A Depiction of his Notable and Innovative Inventions Oberlin Heritage Center
9. Historical marker about Moses Fleetwood Walker, Toledo (photo by Chris Rycroft, 2024) Wikimedia Commons

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