America's Sporting Shame on Sky Sports News - the story of the impact of Negro leagues on baseball

As recently as the post-Second World War years, major league baseball was almost strictly 100 per cent white, players from black and Hispanic backgrounds told in no uncertain terms that they were not welcome.

Negro leagues had existed since the 19th century, sport mirroring American society in its blinkered attitude to minorities, and those who tried to make their name in the majors came up against threats of violence.

The emergence of serious Negro leagues in the 1920s - led by the visionary Andrew Rube Foster - gave black players the chance to showcase their talents and play in front of crowds often larger than major league teams across the United States - crowds which ironically included thousands of white fans.