April 15th - Jackie Robinson Day

[Mulli]

Happy Jackie Robinson Day.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_relea...ent_id=2527455&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

[BC867]

Happy Jackie Robinson Day.]

As an 11-year old Dodger fan in 1952, I was able to see Jackie Robinson in his prime.

My father told me that, because he was a Giants fan and took me to many Jersey City Giants AAA minor league games when I was five years old, we were in the stands the day that Jackie Robinson broke into professional baseball at Roosevelt Stadium with the Dodgers top farm team, the Montreal Royals, visiting the Giants top farm team in 1946.

He was pigeon-toed and a little overweight, but he could steal bases, especially stealing home in the World Series.

My favorite all-time baseball play was in the World Series vs. the hated Yankees when Jackie made a big turn at 2B on a double, got the LF to throw behind him to second, and Jackie coasted into third, turning a double into a triple.

What Jackie (who was a 4-letter man at UCLA and an officer in the Army) endured from many of the players and fans was disgusting. And I'm a Caucasian.

He went blind, then died at an early age from diabetes, no doubt from the pressure of what he went through pioneering Major League baseball.

When Walter O'Malley traded Jackie to the Giants, he chose to immediately retire. I was thrilled. I couldn't bear the thought of seeing Jackie Robinson in a New York Giant uniform.

As a matter of fact, when they made a movie called The Jackie Robinson Story, do you know who played the title role? A Hollywood actor? Nope. It was Jackie Robinson.

With Ruby Dee playing his wife Rachel.

Reading about Jackie's life should be required reading for all kids in America. He was special!