BROOKLYN, N.Y. - He ran out from his dugout in his home white uniform, crossed the white chalk line, and entered a world that had formerly been for white men only. The box score shows he went 0-for-3, with a sacrifice bunt and a run scored. On the surface, it's nothing world-changing, but it changed the world for millions of men and women across the country.
On April 15, 1947, in Brooklyn's home opener against the Boston Braves, Jackie Robinson changed the baseball world by simply taking his position at first base. He was the first black man to play in a Major League Baseball game in nearly 60 years, since the ban on black players had been put in place.
Robinson was chosen for this honor not for his talent but because of his demeanor. Brooklyn general manager Branch Rickey wanted to integrate baseball, and he knew he needed a player who could take the verbal and sometimes physical abuse that would surely come his way and turn the other cheek. He wanted somebody, as he famously told Robinson, who had "guts enough not to fight back." Rickey knew that a player who resisted, who fought back, would do more harm than good to the cause of integration.
So Robinson bit his lip and took what was coming. In spring training, some Dodgers players threatened to strike if Robinson made the team. Their manager laughed and said he'd be happy to trade anybody who wasn't ready for the financial windfall of having Robinson on the team. Later in the season, several members of the St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike if Robinson were allowed on the field against them. Commissioner Happy Chandler said any players following through on the strike would be suspended, and the Cardinals withdrew their protest.
The incidents continued on the field, as well. Fans, players, and even opposing managers shouted whatever racist insults they could think of. Players purposely spiked Robinson at first base, one time even opening up a 7-inch gash on his leg. Catchers' throws back to the pitcher came periously close to Robinson's head, not to mention the brush-back pitches he ducked.
And through it all, he kept quiet and played. He played exemplary defense at first base and led the league in stolen bases (with twice as many as the runner up), was second in runs scored, and finished in the top 10 in hits, doubles, at bats, and total bases. He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award and led the Dodgers to the World Series.
Robinson kept getting better. Over the years, he would revolutionize the game with his daring baserunning and lethal combination of speed and power, in essence, bringing the style of the Negro Leagues to Major League Baseball. After a few years of biting his lip, he started seeking revenge for racial incidents, making him one of the most feared baserunners in baseball history. His career was short - only 10 years in the majors - but it ended with him in the Hall of Fame. In 1997, Major League Baseball made him the first player to have his number retired league-wide.
His talent, though, is only secondary to his story. He'd be in the Hall of Fame even if he hadn't been successful as a player. People who bust down barriers and open the door for countless others tend to get recognized that way.
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