"Breaking Barriers: Sam Jethroe's Historic MLB Debut from the Negro Leagues"

In 1945, the Boston Braves, a major league baseball franchise, hesitated to pursue integration, holding tryouts for Jackie Robinson, Sam Jethroe, and other Negro League talents—ultimately, they declined to sign any. However, in 1950, the Braves re-signed Jethroe. On April 18, he debuted in MLB, earning Rookie of the Year and leading the National League in stolen bases before retiring in 1954. Outfielder Sam Jethroe, then of the Cleveland Buckeyes, poses for a photo at the Polo Grounds in New York on July 29, 1947. (Photo credit: Matty Zimmerman, The Associated Press)