This February, Sports Illustrated is celebrating Black History Month by spotlighting a different iconic athlete or group of athletes every day. Today, SI looks back on the legacy of Pumpsie Green.
Pumpsie Green became the first African-American player in the history of the Boston Red Sox in 1959. They were the last team to desegregate in MLB.
The Red Sox, under owner Tom Yawkey, were one of the most racist organizations across all of professional sports.
Yawkey systemically used racial slurs to refer to African-Americans and poured dollars into the pockets of segregationist politicians in his home state of South Carolina.