The Walker brothers, Fleet and Welday, played for Toledo of the American Association in 1884. From then on black players were barred from the mainstream major league teams. A few light-skinned Latin players did play in the majors in the 1890-1930 period. In 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the “unwritten” color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Within months Larry Doby (Cleveland) joined him and by the late 1940s and early 1950s, most teams had at least one black player. The Boston Red Sox were the last major league team to integrate, in 1959.
