1950 Bowman #23, Don Newcombe RC ⭐ MLB Pioneer
1950 Bowman #174, Hank Thompson RC ⭐ MLB Pioneer
Back in 1949, these two MLB Pioneers were the first Black pitcher & batter to face each other in a modern MLB game.
Don Newcombe began his pro baseball career with the Newark Eagles in the Negro League.
Hank Thompson played most of his early pro baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League.

1952 Topps Baseball Cards ⭐ MLB First
These are 3 of my favorite cards.
The first all-Black outfield in Major League Baseball (MLB) history took the field for the New York Giants in Game 1 of the 1951 World Series. This historic trio included Monte Irvin in left field, Willie Mays in center, and Hank Thompson in right.
Have a great day friends and card folk!🤝

1950 Bowman #174, Hank Thompson ⭐ RC
Hank Thompson is generally recognized as the third Black player in the modern Major League Baseball (MLB) era to break the color barrier, debuting for the St. Louis Browns on July 17, 1947. He followed Jackie Robinson (April 15, 1947) and Larry Doby (July 5, 1947) in integrating the league.

Key facts regarding Hank Thompson and his contributions during this period of integration include:

• Thompson is notable for integrating two different franchises; he played for the St. Louis Browns in 1947 and later for the NY Giants (along with Monte Irvin) in 1949.

• He is also recognized as the first Black batter to face a Black pitcher in a MLB game when he batted against Don Newcombe on July 8, 1949.

• Hank was also part of the first all-Black outfield in MLB history when he played right field along with teammates Willie Mays (centerfield) and Monte Irvin (left field) in Game 1 of the 1951 World Series on October 4, 1951.