The Cincinnati Reds offer condolences to the family, friends and former teammates of Chuck Harmon, the first African American to play for the team. He died yesterday at age 94. pic.twitter.com/EDjCUEG8jE
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 20, 2019
Harmon, who was born in Washington, Ind., and attended the University of Toledo, debuted for the Reds on April 17, 1954, at 29. This was seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
"Being the first, I said, 'So I was the first. So what? I'm going to make sure I'm not the last,' " Harmon said in 2007. "That's all I thought about. Being the first? Great. But I watched how I carried myself so I wouldn't negate all the rest of the black ballplayers from getting a chance with the Reds. Don't go out there and act a fool."
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Harmon played three seasons with the Reds, hitting .242 with seven home runs. He said he was treated great in Cincinnati.
"I can't remember any time that I wasn't treated good,” Harmon said. “I can honestly say if I was treated bad, I didn't realize it, or it didn't bother me."
Harmon later played with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. In four seasons, he played in 289 games and hit .238.
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