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Meet Chuck Harmon: the Cincinnati Reds' first African-American player

Reds' 1st African-American blazed trail in 1954
Reds' 1st African-American blazed trail in 1954
Reds' 1st African-American blazed trail in 1954
Posted at 6:39 AM, Apr 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-03 11:25:15-04

CINCINNATI -- Chuck Harmon blazed a trail for others to follow when he became the first African-American to play for the Cincinnati Reds in 1954.

Chuck Harmon

"There was name-calling and things of that nature, but my dad always brushed it off," said Chuck Harmon Jr. "He was about playing baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, doing something that he loved to do, and that was the main thing, trying to make fans happy."

Harmon actually started off as a basketball player, winning two consecutive Indiana state championships before going into professional baseball. Because of segregation, Harmon stayed in a separate hotel or private home away from his teammates while on the road, but he said he's still glad he was the first.

"Somebody says 'Ah, that guy can do this.' If he can do this, making everybody happy -- I want to do that," Harmon said.

Today, Harmon has a street named after him, Chuck Harmon Way in Golf Manor, a statue at the Urban Youth Academy and a plaque at Great American Ball Park.

As Major League Baseball's oldest living black player, Harmon turns 93 on April 23. He enjoys catching several games each season and will celebrate by attending the Reds game against the Chicago Cubs.