Pirates in MLB’s 1st Minority Lineup Honored 50 Years Later

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The members of the Major League Baseball's first all-minority lineup say they didn't set out to make history. The Pittsburgh Pirates started nine Black or Latin players on Sept. 1, 1971, in a 10-7 win over Philadelphia. The surviving members of the team say they didn't know they were making history at the time. Fifty years later, however, they understand the significance of their landmark night. First baseman Al Oliver says the lineup that night showed the “unity” the team had in the clubhouse. The 1971 Pirates went on to beat Baltimore in the World Series.