And the ones who are here all play, depending on when the circumstances present themselves.' '…The best men in our organization are the ones who are here. 'When it comes to making out the lineup, I'm colorblind, and the athletes know it,' Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh said, according to UPI. In its game coverage, United Press International highlighted the milestone, which came 24 years after Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. 'I don't think we even realized it until the second inning,' broadcaster Nellie King told the Pittsburgh Press in 1986 about the all-Black lineup.
Only 11,278 attend the game in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium. The history-making event receives zero coverage in Pittsburgh two major newspapers-both were on strike-and is mentioned only briefly during the team’s radio broadcast. On September 1, 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates field the first all-Black lineup in Major League Baseball history in the team's 10-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
