09/08/1899
Bud Fowler retirees from professional baseball. Bud has played in 19 years as a pro. Five of those seasons prior to the IMLB. Bud first played for a largely white professional team based out of New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1872, when he was 14 years old. On May 17, 1878, while playing for the Lynn Live Oaks, Fowler reportedly became the first Black player in to appear in a game in organized baseball. On April 24, 1878, he pitched a game for the Picked Nine, who defeated the Boston Red Caps, champions of the National League in 1877. He pitched some more for the Chelsea team, then finished that season with the Worcester club.
Bud debuted in 1882 for the Philadelphia Athletics of the IMLB. He was the first Black player in the league. Since then he has been joined by several other black players who consider Bud to be an insperation to them as he paved the way for them and many other black and non-caucasian players.