CINCINNATI -- It's been nearly 63 years since Chuck Harmon made history for the Reds as their first African-American player. Time has not diminished what he has meant to Cincinnati, and the club continues to embrace and honor Harmon's legacy.
Harmon, then 29, appeared for the first time as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Braves on April 17, 1954, seven years after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier with the Dodgers.
"He came through at a time when it was difficult for African-Americans to play pro baseball. Even though it was several years after Jackie Robinson, he was our first," said Rick Walls, the executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame.