April 15, 1947 went down in the history books of sports legends. One man performed the unthinkable for the time and crossed over to the other side, blazing a path for others to follow. This man was Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson. An African-American played professional baseball in the big leagues for the first time in sports history.
In honor of Jackie Robinson’s accomplishments and what he has given the world of baseball, in 2007 Ken Griffey Jr. asked Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s wife, if he could have permission to wear his number to honor his feats. Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig extended the invitation to all MLB players to honor Robinson for this day. Jackie’s number has been retired from all MLB teams with exception to Relief Pitcher Mariano Rivera because he wore jersey number 42 prior to the retirement of Robinson’s number in 2009.
In 1945, Robinson received a written invitation to play for the Kansas City Monarchs after college where he was accepted. He was, however, disgraced at the gambling habits and awful traveling schedule. He played 47 games at shortstop for the Monarchs, hitting .387 with five home runs and registering 13 stolen bases. He also appeared in the 1945 Negro League All-Star Game, going hit-less in five at-bats. He wanted more. The Boston Red Sox held tryouts where he thought he could show his abilities, but it turned out it was just a ploy to appeal to the city council’s desire to desegregate and Robinson left the tryouts upset and humiliated after finding out nobody would make the majors.
Branch Rickey, general manager and club president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, decided to start scouting the Negro Leagues for talent. This is where he tripped upon Robinson. He invited Robinson to a contract with the club’s International League AAA affiliate the Montreal Royals, as long as he was able to withstand the racial abuse without fighting back with anger. Robinson was not allowed to stay at the team hotel, or sometimes even in the same town by request of local mayors. He had to find black clergy, or civil rights and community leaders to shelter with or games were threatened to be cancelled.
On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Jackie Robinson had become a major league baseball player after all. He became the first player since 1880 to openly break the major league baseball color line. Some Dodger players insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. The brewing mutiny ended when Dodgers management took a stand for Robinson. Manager Leo Durocher informed the team, “I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin’ zebra. I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What’s more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded.”
Robinson went on to win 1947 Rookie of the Year, was a six-time MLB All-Star, 1955 World Series Champion, made the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and last but not least, in honor of Robinson, every MLB player on April 15 of every year, for one day wears the number 42 in honor of the guts and glory of the man who erased that line of color in major league baseball. Thank you, Jackie, thank you.
