April 15 - baseball's color line is officially broken forever when Jackie Robinson makes his Major League debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field .
April 27 - before a packed house at New York's Yankee Stadium , it was Babe Ruth Day and Ruth himself made an appearance; despite having throat cancer, he spoke to the crowd "the only real game, I think, in the world is baseball".
July-September
August 26 - Brooklyn Dodgers' Dan Bankhead became the first black pitcher in the majors. He homered in his first major league plate appearance, but didn't fare well on the mound. In 3 one third innings of relief, he gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates who won the game 16-3.
January 31 - Johnny Kling , 71, catcher for the Chicago Cubs champions of the late 1900s
February 24 - Jack Glasscock , 89, brilliant fielding shortstop of the 19th century, and the sixth player to make 2000 hits
March 28 - Johnny Evers , 65, Hall of Fame second baseman remembered for his work at the center of the Chicago Cubs' legendary double play combination of Tinker, Evers and Chance, later the NL's MVP with the 1914 "Miracle Braves"
May 18 - Hal Chase , 64, star first baseman, an outstanding fielder, who was barred from baseball after a reputed long history of fixing games
July 7 - Dick Egan , infielder for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves from 1908 through 1916
