The Team that Changed Baseball - Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
While Jackie Robinson's breakthrough in 1947 opened the gates of opportunity for African Americans and other minority players, it was not until 1971 when a team first enjoyed a full and complete level of integration, with half of its twenty-five-man roster comprised of players of African American and Latino descent. That team was the Pittsburgh Pirates, managed by an old-time Irishman. In The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, veteran baseball writer Bruce Markusen tells the story of one of the most likable and significant teams in the history of professional sports, whose legacy is its influence on the future of baseball, inspiring later championship teams to open their doors fully to all talented players, regardless of race.