Friday, April 30, 2010

“Despite the racial abuse, Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage. His excellent year led to his promotion to the Dodgers. His debut game on April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major leagues. The harassment continued, however, most notably by the Philadelphia Phillies and their manager Ben Chapman. During one infamous game, Chapman and his team shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Even his own teammates threatened to sit out.” (2) This did not mean that Robinson did not have his supporters; in fact his manager Leo Durocher informed his players that he would trade them before Robinson. “His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team. Others defended Jackie Robinson's right to play in the major leagues, including League President Ford Frick, Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, Jewish baseball star Hank Greenberg and Dodgers shortstop and team captain Pee Wee Reese. In one incident, while fans harassed Robinson from the stands, Reese walked over and put his arm around his teammate, a gesture that has become legendary in baseball history.” (2) Reese was a well respected player throughout baseball and was quite popular with the fans, making the significance of this public display of approval for Robinson immeasurable.

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