Today's African American fact from baseball's "Golden Era"

In the bottom of the first inning at the Polo Grounds on May 28, 1951, Willie Howard Mays stepped into the batters’ box to face Warren Spahn.  The New York Giants had brought Mays up from its Minneapolis Triple AAA minor league club earlier in the month and made him their starting centerfielder.  However; as the rookie prepared to go against one of the best pitchers in baseball at that time, batting third in the Giant lineup that day, his batting average stood at a measly .063.

But on a 0 – 3 pitch, Willie Mays connected to hit the first home run on his career;  the first of his 660.  The Giants beat Spahn 4 to 1.  Mays went on to hit .274 that year with 20 home runs and 68 RBI, winning the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year Award.