On July 7, Dan McClellan of the Philadelphia Giants becomes the first black pitcher to throw a perfect game, against York, Pa., of the Tri-State League.

William Buckner (below, right) becomes the Chicago White Sox trainer. He holds the job until 1913 and returns in 1920. After retiring in 1933 Buckner became the first black person to draw a pension from a major league club.

The All Nations team, a racially-mixed touring squad, is formed by owner J.L Wilkinson.

Pitcher John Donaldson, probably the best lefthander of his generation, over the course of the season hurls a 30-strikeout game, a 25-strikeout game, a 21-strikeout game, and two 12-inning no-hitters.

In an attempt to circumvent the color barrier and get infielder Charlie Grant on his team, Baltimore Orioles manager John McGraw changes Grant's name to Charlie Tokohama and tries to pass him off as a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. Grant practices with the Orioles all spring but is released when White Sox owner Charles Comiskey exposes the plan.

Pitcher Rube Foster (left) goes 51-4 for the Philadelphia Giants. In an exhibition against the Philadelphia A's of the American League, Foster beats 26-game winner Rube Waddell and becomes known as the "colored Rube Waddell." The Chicago Union Giants win 112 of their 122 games, including a streak of 48 straight.

On May 10, Rube Foster, now managing and playing for the Leland Giants of Chicago, issues a challenge in the Indianapolis Freeman announcing that his team would play "any ball club in the world for a series of games to decide the championship.... I want the public to be convinced as to who really is the champion." In 129 games that season the Giants go 123-6. After the season the team goes to Havana to play a series against Cuban teams; while there, several Giants are asked to play for the Havana team in a six-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Twice during the series Giants catcher Bruce Petway throws out Ty Cobb on steal attempts. Foster's teams (the Leland Giants and the Chicago American Giants) would dominate black baseball for the next decade.