John "Bud" Fowler is believed to be the first African-American to play baseball as a professional. While it is unrecorded when he began his career, by 1878 he was a pitcher with the Lynn Massachusetts Live Oaks, a white team. During Fowler's era, it was common for players to be able to play at any position. Fowler was a noted second baseman and called the best at that position in the country by Sporting Life, a contemporary weekly. Fowler's career lasted about 25 years.
Sources: Only The Ball Was White
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