Pittsburgh Pirates Black History Month Tribute: The First All-Minority Lineup in MLB History
By Noah Wright
![PITTSBURGH - JUNE 21: Manny Sanguillen #35 of the World Series Champion 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates salutes the crowd after being introduced before the game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 21, 2011 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) PITTSBURGH - JUNE 21: Manny Sanguillen #35 of the World Series Champion 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates salutes the crowd after being introduced before the game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 21, 2011 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Frumbunter-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2016-2F04-2F117091338-850x560-1547c326ccedbed494c0e19c8cf35b41.jpg)
Baseball has a deep and rich background in Black History, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best stories in the rich history of the sport.
February is Black History Month. Clearly, the sport of baseball has one of richest histories in black history. Everything from Josh Gibson in the Negro Legaues hitting nearly 1000 home runs to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the deepest histories in terms of black history month.
Today, I wanted to revisit a very special line-up the Pittsburgh Pirates assembled in 1971. A line-up that would go down in history as the very first all-minority line-up in Major League Baseball history. So, without further ado, let’s get into the lead off hitter.