I did. I saw Jackie play! Of the multitude that might take
the trouble to read this, I am probably in the minority that actually saw
Jackie Robinson play baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. I’ll get back to that
later—there’s a few things I want to discuss first. The 14th of April, 1947, some 66 years ago
today was a big day in Baseball. If one puts their mind to it and discounts the
fact that it was a sporting event, the single act of playing a baseball game
that day is as BIG as only a ever dwindling few alive can imagine.
Jackie Robinson – 18 Apr 48
John Jorgensen – Pee Wee Reese – Eddie Stanky – Jackie Robinson – 15 Apr 47 (Day #2)
At the time the NFL and the NBA were still fringe elements
in the culture of the United States of America—Baseball
was king. All other sports were also runs.
Let me ask you this: What momentous events in history stick
out in your mind when you think back? 9/11 is
probably the most notable for most. T an ever decreasing few, the answer
to the question centers around World War II: December the 7th,
D-Day, Victory over Japan
and big events like those. The next few generations probably recall watching
the landing and walking on the moon—a momentous step, to say the least.
Keeping in mind the steps taken on the beaches and the moon;
now, I would ask you a followup question: Was the first step on the moon a
bigger step in the cultural history of the United States than the step taken by
Jackie Robinson (backed by Branch Rickey) when he left the dugout that
afternoon into the previously all-white realm of Major League Baseball? That
step, arguably, was the shot heard ‘round
the world in advance of the civil rights movement of the 50s, the 60s and
decades to come.
The event came much earlier than I and my first memory of
big events—but not much earlier in a life that has seen many biggies transpire.
Stealing Home – Ebbits Field 22 Aug 48
Pee Wee Reese – Jackie Robinson – Preacher Roe - 1952
*****
In the summer of 1951, life found my family residing in our
40X8 foot trailer in the small mid-state Illinois town of Taylorville—real
small town of Taylorville. My dad worked for the oil exploration company
Geotech and we moved around a great deal. We lived there for only a few months,
but looking back those were fairly active months. Dad and Mom always wanted us,
my brother and I, to experience as much as possible of the notable spots our
traveling gave us the advantage of proximity. One weekend we spent in the Illinois
capitol of Springfield—the first
city of which I have memories.
The next available weekend, we traveled to St
Louis, Missouri. I was as
excited as my dad. We were going to take in the Cardinal game. My dad was the
biggest baseball fan in the world—as far as I knew at the time. I thought I was
the second. We never missed a Cardinal game on the radio. You might recall that
the Cardinals were the farthest west team in the major leagues at the time and
actually they were all you could get on the radio. Still that was OK with
me—they were my favorite.
I was on my way to see Stan The Man Musial (6), Country
Enos Slaughter (9) and Red Schoendienst (2). The cards also had such names on
their roster as backup catcher Joe Garaoligo, Harry Walker and Peanuts Lowery. Sportsman
Park, here we come!
The opponent that Saturday was the Brooklyn Dodgers. Some
legendary names were on that roster as well. Our excitement level was as high
as a kite. Tickets were purchased and we were making our way to our seats. As
luck would have it, our trek took us right in front of the visitors locker room
just as they filed out to make their way to the dugout tunnel—there they were
right in front of me, the Brooklyn Dodgers—I coulda reached out and touched
them.
One by one, as they made their way to the dugout tunnel my
dad would point out and name each one as they passed. He recognized them from
pictures in the newspaper, the only visual media at the time—long before TV was
widely affordable and available. Still now, I can close my eyes, lean back and
see them as they walked right there in front of me: Roy Campanella (39), Pee
Wee Reese (1), Jackie Robinson (42), Duke Snider (4).A few other Dodgers
present that day that my generation will remember: Don Newcombe, Ralph Branca
(he who threw the other shot heard ‘round the world that allowed the Giants
into the 1951 World Series), Preacher Roe, Gil Hodges, Eddie Stanky, Carl
Furillo, Dick Williams (rookie in ’51, but the A’s manager in ’72 & ’73
World Series), Wayne Terwillger (34), and Carl Erskine (17).
That’s enough with the name dropping—but, they were all
there.
Scorecard – Dodgers lineup – Aug 1951
Scorecard – Cardinal lineup – Aug 1951
Count them up: Cardinals—Stan Musial (6), Enos Slaughter (9)
and Red Schoendienst (2) and Dodgers—Roy Campanella (39), Pee Wee Reese (1),
Jackie Robinson (42), Duke Snider (4) and Dick Williams (38); all future Hall
of Fame members; eight in that single game in 1951. You’d be lucky to find two
future Hall of Famers on the same field in today’s game.
The Cardinals won that day by-the-way.
Here’s my point: without that day in April, 1947, three of
the eight above may not be in the Hall of Fame. Those three and many more to
come owe a great deal of gratitude to the suffering and courage that Jack
Roosevelt Jackie Robinson underwent
sixty-six years ago. Most don’t realize it, but Jackie’s #42 was the first
uniform number to be universally retired throughout all of Major League Baseball—this had never
been done before.
Jackie Robinson was a great athlete and a great man. I saw
Jackie play! I, for one, think he is due more!
