George Shuba

George "Shotgun" Shuba (December 13, 1924 – September 29, 2014) was an American baseball player. He was an outfielder. He was a left-handed pinch hitter in Major League Baseball. Shuba played seven seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

His seven seasons included three World Series as well as a World Series championship in 1955.  He was the first National League player to hit a pinch-hit home run in a World Series game.

Shuba is often remembered for his symbolic role in breaking down Major League Baseball's tenacious "color barrier". He was born in Youngstown, Ohio.

While playing for a farm team in the 1940s, Shuba offered a congratulatory handshake to teammate Jackie Robinson, who went on to become the first African American to play in a major league game since the late 19th century. The moment was captured in a well-known photograph dubbed A Handshake for the Century for featuring the first interracial handshake in a professional baseball game.

Shuba died on September 29, 2014, at age 89 in Youngstown, Ohio. He was the last living Brooklyn Dodger who appeared in the final game of the 1955 World Series, the only one won by the Dodgers in their Brooklyn history.

References

Other websites
 Baseball Library Player Page 
 Robinson-Shuba Handshake 
 George Shuba's Website 

Category:1924 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players
Category:Sportspeople from Youngstown, Ohio