Since 2021, every June 19 America commemorates Juneteenth National Independence Day.
The federal holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.
MLB teams have since used the day to honor some of their Negro League stars, players that sacrificed a lot back in the day and paved the way for thousands of Black stars to show the best of their talent in the majors.
“Today, we celebrate Juneteenth and honor Negro Leagues legends Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Quincy Trouppe, and Luke Easter,” the Guardians wrote on their official Twitter account.
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth and honor Negro Leagues legends Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Quincy Trouppe, and Luke Easter.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/s9Wc98ngU5
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 19, 2024
Doby became the first Black player in the American League, just three months after Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in MLB as a whole.
The center fielder went on to hit 273 home runs in the major leagues and was part of Cleveland’s team that won the last World Series in franchise history, in 1948.
He led the American League in home runs twice, and the Guardians retired number 14 in his honor.
Paige was already a 42-year-old veteran when the Guardians signed him in 1948.
He became the first Black pitcher in the American League and helped Cleveland in that World Series-winning campaign with a 2.48 ERA in 72.2 innings, from July to the end of the regular season.
Trouppe, also well past his prime when he played for Cleveland, caught six games in the 1952 season, and Easter played first base for the Guards from 1949 to 1954, leaving some excellent numbers: .274/.350/.481 with 93 home runs and a .830 OPS.
All four players represent a big part of franchise history, and the organization is celebrating their careers and achievements on this day.
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