In 1971, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jackie Hernandez fielded a ground ball and fired it to first base for the final out of a 2-1 World Series-clinching victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
This was a red-letter day in the history of baseball integration as the final game of the ‘71 series featured, for the first time, only African-american and latino players in the starting lineups.
Hernandez passed on Saturday, October 12th in Miami, FL at the age of 79.
A native of Central Tinguaro, Cuba, Hernandez played shortstop for the Pirates from 1971-73. He was a career .