FIRSTS: A series of paintings of by Bob Krieger (held over until Oct. 31, Paneficio Gallery, 800 Keefer St. at Hawks Avenue, Vancouver BC.) The following is written by Bob’s baseball-historian brother, Kit Krieger:
When Jackie Robinson came to bat against Johnny Sain on April 15, 1947, he became the first Black player to appear in a major league game since 1884. While Robinson was the first to break what was referred to as the “colour barrier,” he was not the only one. The barrier had to be broken 16 times, once for each of the 16 franchises that constituted the major leagues.
Robinson’s trials and triumphs were well documented: death threats, knock-down pitches, rebuffs from teammates, denial of the right to stay in hotels on road trips, cascades of racial slurs from the fans and opposing benches. The men who broke the colour barrier for each team suffered similar or even greater indignities, particularly in cities like St. Louis and Cincinnati, with southern cultures and in Boston, where the Red Sox resisted integration until 1959, a dozen years after Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bob Krieger’s paintings of those who followed Robinson, and were the first to play for the other major league teams, pays tributes to these pioneers. Some, like Sam Jethroe and Henry Thompson, had starred in the Negro Leagues and reached the major leagues too late to display the talents they displayed when in their primes. Others, like Ernie Banks, Minnie Miñoso and Elston Howard were younger and enjoyed stellar careers that earned them places in the Hall of Fame. And others, like Bob Trice, careers were adversely affected by the racism they encountered.
Since he started this series we’ve witnessed the murder of George Floyd, the literal whitewashing of slavery and ICE raids hunting people of colour throughout the United States. Krieger profoundly regrets his paintings seem even more relevant today.
— Kit Krieger, September. 5, 2025
Hope you’re enjoying these posts. Please feel free to share if you are so inclined. Next one is the first Black ballplayer on one of the Philadelphia teams. Any guesses?
These are wonderful - a very fine tribute to some very fine players