The first official Major League Baseball All-Star Game was in 1933. But for many Black Americans, 1949 may perhaps be a year they consider more important.

For the first time, the 1949 All-Stars provided an overdue splash of color to the “Midsummer Classic” at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field.

Representing the American League was Cleveland outfielder Larry Doby. The National League countered with three Dodgers, second baseman Jackie Robinson, pitcher Don Newcombe and catcher Roy Campanella.

Robinson started and hit second in the lineup. The other three came off the bench. Newcombe picked up the loss in an 11-7 American League victory.

At the time the starters were selected by a national panel of white sportswriters. For reasons that defy fair play, Robinson was not chosen in his rookie year of 1947, or in 1948, despite sparkling credentials.

Black and Brown athletes have been in the middle of the action ever since. In 1951, Cuban outfielder Minnie Minoso became the first Black Latino to become an All-Star, opening the door for others to follow.

Tuesday’s rosters will be well represented with numerous African- Americans and Latinos from the Caribbean.

Among the best bets to light up the scoreboard are Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.

Top Latinos figure to include Cleveland first baseman Vladimir Guerrero, last year’s All-Star MVP, and Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

Managing the AL will be Houston’s Dusty Baker, a former Richmond Brave and twice an MLB All-Star himself in 1981 and 1982.

It will be a family affair in LA. Baker’s son, Darren, will be playing in the July 16 MLB Futures Game, also at Dodger Stadium. Darren Baker, a former 10th round draft choice of Washington, is now the second baseman for the Nats’ High-A Wilmington, Del., affiliate.

It wasn’t until 1962 that an All-Star MVP was selected. The first was Dodgers switch-hitting shortstop Maury Wills, who that same year set the big-league record with 104 stolen bases in just 117 attempts.

Wills had one stolen base in the All-Star game and scored two runs.

The 1962 game was at D.C. Stadium (later called Robert F. Kennedy) in Washington, Wills’ hometown.

Before Black players were permitted to play in the mainstream big leagues, they boasted a galaxy of stars of their own in the Negro Leagues.

In September 1933, the Negro Leagues hosted its first All-Star Game at Comiskey Field in Chicago. It is the same location where the MLB All-Star Game was played in July 1933.

The teams were selected by fans in an effort coordinated by the nation’s leading Black newspapers, including the Chicago Defender, the Pittsburgh Courier and Sun-Telegraph, the Baltimore Afro-American, the Kansas City Call and others.

The inaugural game drew 19,568 fans, most of whom arrived on a rainy night in crowded train cars.

Top Negro stars in 1933 were Hall of Famers-to-be Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson and leading vote-getter Oscar Charleston, then playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

The game was officially billed “East vs. West,” but more commonly referred to as the “Game of Games.”

The best-attended Negro League All-Star Game was in 1943 when 51,723 crowded into Griffith Stadium in Washington. The attendance fell off sharply once the top Black players entered MLB.

Ernie Banks is believed to be the last Negro League All-Star to join the big leagues. Banks was signed by the Chicago Cubs in September 1953, after starting the season with the Kansas City Monarchs.