Making history in Milwaukee

With third baseman Jackie Robinson and catcher Roy Campanella – a pair of future Hall of Famers – in the starting lineup alongside second baseman Junior Gilliam, left fielder Sandy Amoros and pitcher Don Newcombe, the Brooklyn Dodgers 71 years ago today become the major leagues’ first team to field a lineup with a majority of Black players.

The moment comes at Milwaukee's County Stadium, where the Dodgers outlast the Braves 2-1 in 11 innings before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 39,250.

Oddly enough given their enormous talent, the quartet of Robinson, Campanella, Gilliam and Amoros goes hitless in 19 plate appearances during the game.

Hank Aaron in 1954

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Newcombe allows just one run over nine innings before Brooklyn eventually pushes across the go-ahead run in the 11th inning on an RBI single by Gil Hodges, another future Hall of Famer.

The Braves’ left fielder that day in 1954 goes on to become a fairly historic player himself, but back then he is just a skinny rookie named Hank Aaron.

Aaron – also on his way to Cooperstown – manages only one single in six at-bats of his own.

The last of Aaron’s at-bats ends the game as he lines out to center fielder Duke Snider, yet another future Hall of Famer in a game that also includes future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews playing at third base for Milwaukee.