CBS Sports celebrates Black History Month with animated vignette on William Edward White
White -- not Jackie Robinson --may have been the first Black player to appear in a Major League Baseball game
By
Chris Bengel
•
1 min read
CBS Sports will be honoring Black athletes during Black History Month with a series of vignettes that will air on CBS Sports Network. One of them focuses on William Edward White, who is believed to be the first Black player to appear in a Major League Baseball game.
Yes, many believe that Jackie Robinson broke the sport's color barrier, but it may have been White that actually was the first Black player to appear in a Major League Baseball game. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, White replaced Providence Grays first baseman Joe Start, who was injured in a game.
The Grays were an MLB team that existed from 1878 to 1885 and White actually played for his college baseball team at Brown University. In the game, White went 1-for-4 and scored a run as Providence came away with a 5-3 victory. However, White never played for the Grays again.
The vignettes will be airing across CBS Sports Network and other CBS Sports digital properties.
"It is imperative that we at CBS Sports, and as an industry, work towards a more diverse and inclusive landscape," CBS Sports executive producer and executive vice president Harold Bryant said. "Telling these stories of Black athletes is incredibly important, and we are proud that many of our Black employees have the opportunity to lead these productions.
"These vignettes written, produced and edited by Black CBS Sports employees continue that necessary mission of utilizing our resources in front of and behind the camera to push for more diversity and inclusion."
