If you don’t know by now, you really should read more – the Chicago Cubs are the World Series Champions, 108 years after their last Series win.
But, more importantly, the Wrigley Field team’s center fielder and leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler became the first Black player to play for the Cubs in a World Series.
In the 1945 World Series game, Black people weren’t allowed to play. That was two years before the legendary Jackie Robinson shook up the game as the first Black player in the major leagues.
In an extra-inning thriller, the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians to take home the title Wednesday night.
And if Fowler’s history-making strides weren’t already enough, he solidified his legacy by hitting a homer in his first at-bat in the Game 7 matchup.
“It’s a random fact I stumbled across on Twitter,” Fowler wrote on his Instagram page last week. He’s speaking about being the first Black man at bat for the Cubs in the Series.
“I couldn’t be more proud to represent the Cubs, Jackie Robinson, who fought for my right to play, and for other black boys across America that are hoping to be in my shoes one day,” he continued.
The Cubs last won the title 108 years ago. Fowler’s other teammates, right field Jason Heyward and infielder Addison Russell, added to the team’s history for minorities playing for the Cubs in the World Series.
Famed Hall of Famer, Ernie Banks, was the Cubs’ first Black player in 1953. However, he never had the opportunity to play in the postseason. He died of a heart attack in 2015.
The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Indians in the best 4-out-of-7 final. Even during the Game 7, the Cubs allowed the Indians to tie after leading for majority of the game. It took a rain delay for the Cubs to strike back in the 10th inning, winning the game by two runs.