Hmmm.

This is another tricky one.

In regards to pure talent Snuffy Stirnweiss doesn’t belong here and his greatest seasons took place during World War II when the Majors were depleted.  He won his infield job when Joe Gordon served his country and lost it when he came back. 

Honestly, this was a bit of a surprise as when you think of the career of Rickey Henderson it is the Oakland A’s that you think of as this is where he played in four separate stints and won the American League MVP.   He was however an excellent player for the New York Yankees for and half seasons during his prime, where he put up individual numbers good enough to land him here.

In 1965 Bobby Mercer played his first game for New York at age 19 and after bouncing back and forth from the minors and a one-year stint in the army, he would become a fixture in the Yankees lineup in 1969 and would become a popular and productive member of the team.

It took longer than it should have for the New York Yankees but in 1955 when they finally signed their first African-American they picked a great one in Elston Howard.