Ichiro Suzuki achieved baseball immortality last night, eclipsing the 84-year-old record for hits in a season with hits in his first two at-bats at Safeco Field. The record is the most important historic achievement ever by a Seattle Mariner, mesmerizing the region and easing the bitterness of a dismal season.
The following year, 1884, Toledo moved up to the major leagues, playing against teams such as the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and Brooklyn Atlantics as part of the American Assn. Around midseason, Walker's younger brother, Weldy Wilberforce Walker, joined him on the team, becoming the third and final black major leaguer before Jackie Robinson.
At the start of the 1947 baseball season, Robinson was called up to join the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 15, 1947 he became the first African-American to play baseball in the major leagues. Once again, Jackie faced all sorts of racial abuse from the fans and from other baseball players.