{"id":95181,"date":"2025-02-06T18:52:23","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T23:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=95181"},"modified":"2025-02-06T18:52:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T23:52:23","slug":"pirates-gene-baker-first-black-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/02\/06\/pirates-gene-baker-first-black-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"Pirates vs. Dodgers Game Spawns First Black Manager in MLB History"},"content":{"rendered":"

On September 21, 1963, Pittsburgh Pirates coach Gene Baker<\/a> became the first black manager in major league baseball history. Otherwise, it was an ordinary night game between the Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The eventual World Series champion Dodgers<\/a> entered that day in first place, five games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League. With eight games left in the season, the Dodgers\u2019 eventual clinching of the pennant was inevitable.<\/p>\n

Pirates Coach Gene Baker Was the First Black Manager in an MLB Game<\/h2>\n

Baker, an infielder, played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1953. Ernie Banks<\/a> broke the Cubs\u2019 color barrier when he made his major league debut on September 17, 1953. Baker debuted three days later, playing second base alongside shortstop Banks. He remained with the Cubs until a midseason 1957 trade sent him to Pittsburgh. A knee injury early in the 1958 season caused him to miss the rest of that season and 1959. Never a regular after that, Baker was a member of the 1960 World Series champion Pirates<\/a>. He retired after nine games in 1961. For his major league career, Baker hit .263\/.320\/.388, 42 HR, and 255 RBI while playing every infield position except first base.<\/p>\n

The Pirates hired Baker to manage their Columbus farm team in 1961, making him the first black man to manage an affiliated baseball team. When he rejoined the Pirates as a coach in 1963, he became the second black coach in MLB.<\/p>\n

“Skip, Are You Sure?”<\/h3>\n

On that Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Pirates entered the top of the eighth inning tied with the Dodgers, 2-2, with Sandy Koufax<\/a> on the mound. After two outs and consecutive singles by Roberto Clemente<\/a>, Donn Clendenon<\/a>, and Ted Savage<\/a>, the Pirates led, 3-2. Koufax intentionally walked Bill Mazeroski<\/a> to load the bases before giving way to reliever Ron Perranoski<\/a>. Against Perranoski, Bill Virdon<\/a> was called out on a close play at first base to end the inning. Manager Danny Murtaugh<\/a> and first base coach Frank Oceak argued the call. Both were ejected by first base umpire Doug Harvey.<\/p>\n

Oceak was Murtaugh\u2019s long-time right-hand man and would take over the club whenever Murtaugh was ejected. With Oceak also on his way to the showers, however, Murtaugh handed the lineup card to Baker. In 2016, Pirates pitcher Vern Law<\/a> recalled to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette<\/em> reporter Elizabeth Bloom that Baker asked Murtaugh, \u201cSkip, are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Baker Assumes Command of the Pirates<\/h3>\n

Baker\u2019s feat wasn\u2019t mentioned in any of the Pittsburgh newspapers at the time. In fact, there was barely any newspaper coverage of the game. The Post-Gazette<\/em> didn\u2019t publish a Sunday edition at the time. The Pittsburgh Press<\/em> reported on just the first three innings of the late-night West Coast game, which hadn\u2019t been completed at press time. On Monday, the Post-Gazette<\/em> merely reported in a notes section that Murtaugh was \u201cthumbed out\u201d of Saturday’s game.<\/p>\n

There was no mention of Baker\u2019s feat in his Associated Press obituary, either, when he passed away in 1999. However, it was noted in The Independent Press-Telegram<\/em> when it happened. \u201cCoach Gene Baker assumed command [after Murtaugh\u2019s ejection] and became the first Negro to manage in the major leagues,\u201d reported the Long Beach newspaper. That newspaper account was uncovered by curators at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum in 2016. So here we are.<\/p>\n

The Backdrop<\/h3>\n

Furthermore, by then the Pirates were ceding much of the sports section to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before the 1972 Steelers broke a 40-year postseason draught, the 1963 Steelers represented fans’ best hope but fell short. Coach Buddy Parker<\/a>\u2019s rag-tag collection of tough, unwanted veterans finished the season at 7-4-3 in the old NFL East Division, thanks largely to the play of 35-year-old quarterback Ed Brown<\/a>. (Legend has it that Brown was a heavy drinker and played with severe hangovers. Needing to win the final game of the season against the New York Giants in Yankee Stadium to make the playoffs, Brown decided to stay sober. He completed just 13 of 33 pass attempts for two touchdowns and three interceptions, and the Giants won easily, 33-17.)<\/p>\n

In 1962, Buck O\u2019Neil<\/a> became the first black coach in MLB when he joined the staff of the Chicago Cubs. The year before, Cubs owner Phil Wrigley instituted his infamous \u201cCollege of Coaches.\u201d This involved coaches taking turns serving as manager, under the theory that the job was too stressful for one man to carry on for a full season. In his book, I Was Right On Time<\/em>, O\u2019Neil wrote, \u201cIt was a ridiculous idea, although I was quoted in [an] Ebony<\/em> article as saying it was a \u2018wonderful innovation\u2019 that \u2018would be adopted by most teams.\u2019 What was I supposed to say?\u201d<\/p>\n

What O\u2019Neil would discover, however, was that although he was a coach, he would never take a turn managing the Cubs. Moreover, there was an order from the front office that O\u2019Neil was never to appear on the coaching lines. On one occasion, when mass ejections left the Cubs without a third base coach in one game, the more qualified O\u2019Neil was bypassed in favor of a pitching coach.<\/p>\n

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On this date (Sept 21) in 1963, Pirates Coach Gene Baker becomes the first African American to manage a Major League Baseball game after manager Danny Murtaugh and coach Frank Oceak were ejected from the game at Dodger Stadium. Baker managed the final two innings of the contest. pic.twitter.com\/3JLNve7KYq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jimmy T (@JimmyTrdinich) September 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n