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Fowler 'speechless' to be 1st black Cubs player in World Series

Jerry Lai / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The last time the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series, Jackie Robinson was still two years away from breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier.

So when Dexter Fowler learned that he, as Chicago's leadoff man, would technically become the first black player to appear in a World Series game for the Cubs when he steps into the box Tuesday at Progressive Field, the 30-year-old center fielder was rendered speechless.

Fowler's pride was shared by his wife, Darya, who posted a heartwarming family photo on Instagram on Sunday to note this important historical distinction.

"On Tuesday, my husband should be standing at the plate, the first African American Chicago Cub to bat in baseball's World Series," she wrote. "My heart is full, and my throat holding back from crying with humble gratefulness."

Fowler, one of four African-Americans on the Cubs' roster, exploded in the National League Championship Series following a rough start to his postseason, going 9-for-27 (.333) with three doubles, one homer, and six runs scored.

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