Elston “Ellie” Howard was the first African American player in Yankees history. Yes, that’s a fun fact, but you probably already knew it (or at least definitely should have). His road to the Bronx was a long one. Jackie Robinson paved the way for all minorities in baseball but it took eight years before the Yankees integrated, and 12-years before the entire league did. It was a slow process.
Listen to Friday’s A Brief History podcast to learn how Elston paved the way for future minority players, his playing and coaching career, and racism in the Yankees organization in the 1950s.