Making history in Milwaukee

Jackie Robinson, left, with Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella

With third baseman Jackie Robinson and catcher Roy Campanella – a pair of future Hall of Famers – in the starting lineup alongside second baseman Junior Gilliam, left fielder Sandy Amoros and pitcher Don Newcombe, the Brooklyn Dodgers 70 years ago today become the major leagues’ first team to field a lineup with a majority of Black players.

The moment comes at Milwaukee's County Stadium, where the Dodgers outlast the Braves 2-1 in 11 innings before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 39,250.

Henry Aaron as a rookie in 1954

The Braves’ left fielder that day in 1954 goes on to become a fairly historic player himself, but back then he is just a skinny rookie named Henry Aaron.

Oddly enough given their enormous talent, the quartet of Robinson, Campanella, Gilliam and Amoros goes hitless in 19 plate appearances during the game.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Newcombe allows just one run over nine innings before Brooklyn eventually pushes across the go-ahead run in the 11th inning on an RBI single by Gil Hodges, another future Hall of Famer.

Aaron – also on his way to Cooperstown – manages only one single in six at-bats of his own with the last of those at-bats ending the game as he lines out to center fielder Duke Snider, yet another future Hall of Famer in this game that also includes Eddie Mathews playing at third base for Milwaukee.