"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." --Jackie Robinson
If you're a baseball fan, you may have noticed something different yesterday. Players around the league, and the entire Dodgers' team, wore number 42. Although the number is retired throughout baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig granted Ken Griffey, Jr.'s request to wear the number in honor of Jackie Robinson, the Hall-of-Fame second baseman who broke the color barrier in 1947. After Griffey's request, Selig temporarily suspended the retirement of the number and invited players on all teams to wear number 42 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In addition to the plethora of 42s, all of the games (that weren't rained out) featured festivities that honored Jackie Robinson. Dodger Stadium was home to the national celebration of Jackie Robinson Day, with a VIP-filled reception and on-field ceremony prior to the game. Participants included Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife and founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation; their daughter, author Sharon Robinson; several of Jackie's former teammates; baseball executives; civic and industry leaders; Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars; and winners of the Breaking Barriers Essay Contest.
Prior to Robinson, baseball, like much of American society, was segregated. If a black man wanted to play baseball, he had no choice but to join a team in the Negro Leagues. That changed in 1947 when Branch Rickey added Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers' roster. Robinson was a great athlete; at UCLA, he lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1947, MVP in 1949, a six-time All-Star, and retired with a .311 career batting average. Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In addition to celebrating his on-field accomplishments, we must recognize Robinson for being a pioneer and dealing with adversity. He had to be a model ballplayer and model citizen even when others treated him poorly. Robinson endured racial slurs, and his uniform did not allow him access to the white-only hotels and restaurants that his teammates patronized. Some players did not want to play against him. Despite these difficulties, he persevered. You can learn more about Jackie Robinson by doing a subject browse for Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972 or taking a look at his Hall of Fame page. Visit the Baseball Almanac to read some profound quotations, both by and about Robinson, which illustrate the struggles he endured, the respect he gained, and the passion with which he played.
Believe it or not, Nashua also played a role in the integration of baseball. In 1946, the New England League was reestablished. Nashua became home to a Dodgers' minor league affiliate. Although Jackie Robinson was playing Triple A baseball in Montreal, the Dodgers needed to find a place where two other African-American prospects would play. Unfortunately, all of the team's lower level affiliates were in the deep South. Nashua was the perfect team for Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella. According to E.J. "Buzzie" Bavasi, business manager of the Nashua Dodgers in 1946, the city loved the players, and the players loved the city. In fact, Newcombe later said, " Roy and I talked about Nashua all the time. We always felt so comfortable there. From the start, we were treated like human beings, not two black men in town to play baseball. We felt right at home." (Daly, x, 36).
Campanella joined the Brooklyn team in 1948, and Newcombe followed a year later. They are only two of the many black players who followed Robinson into Major League Baseball. Robinson paved the way for greats such as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Bob Gibson, and Tony Gwynn, who will be inducted in to the Hall of Fame this summer. He certainly impacted the lives of these men and millions of baseball fans across the United States. He changed both the game and society for the better, so here's to you, Mr. Robinson!
Sources:
"Griffey Jr., others to wear No. 42 as part of Jackie Robinson Day tribute." Official Site of the Cincinnati Reds. April 4, 2007. http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070404&content_id=1879332&vkey=pr_cin&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin (accessed April 12, 2007).