My vintage card of the week: The 1951 Bowman Dan Bankhead RC. Bankhead was the first Black pitcher in Major League Baseball. Branch Rickey signed him in 1947 after several standout seasons in the Negro Leagues. Bankhead didn’t achieve the MLB success that Jackie Robinson did, but he was a trailblazer, nonetheless. And since pitching is my favorite part of the game, I’m really happy to have recently added this card to my collection.

1951 Bowman #225, Dan Bankhead RC ⭐ MLB Pioneer
On August 26, 1947, Dan Bankhead debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first black pitcher in MLB history. Bankhead was a former Negro leagues star for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Memphis Red Sox.  Bankhead also became the first National League pitcher to homer in his first at-bat. Signed by the Dodgers just 2 days before his debut, he entered the game in the 2nd inning with the Dodgers already losing 6-0. Bankhead gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 16 – 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on that day.

Happy Tuesday friends and card folk. 🌞
Have a great day! 👊