Jackie Robinson: 62 years since the color barrier was broken

by SC on Apr 15, 2009 11:37 AM EDT in News Comment 17 comments

Jackie Robinson Day is one of the few "PR" things that baseball has gotten right over the Bud Selig years, and with the players all wearing No. 42 around the entire league, the love will be more widespread than ever.

I won't go on and on about Jackie Robinson, because we all know the story. But perhaps a slight bit ignored is how good of a baseball player he was. He played 10 seasons in the majors, hitting .311/.409/.474, and he was an amazing glove man, too. He was a fierce competitor ("Above anything else, I hate to lose," he once said) and he was a man with natural talent rivaled by very few, and what he dealt with on a daily basis, especially early in his MLB career, would've broken a whole lot of good and even great players. The man could flat-out play. He was born to play baseball.

MLB Network will be running a day-long tribute to Jackie, too.

"The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it."

-- Jackie Robinson, 1919-1972

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Last year pic of Adam Jones

I remember Jackie Robinson game last year. Adam Jones was the only player on our team to wear 42, and at the time, he was probably the only African-American player on the ball club. (I know he was the only af. am. in spring training at least)

But what really liked was the article we got from Jones researching Jackie and saying many things about how proud and honored he felt to wear the number. To Adam, it wasn’t just a PR stunt, it meant something to him. I think that was the day I started really liking him, because a few other articles had some out about how “respectable” of a person he was and how much of a “sponge for information” he was.

But today is about Jackie Robinson. Although racism still exists in this country ; and although if Jackie hadn’t done it, someone else would have, players like Adam Jones have a lot to be thankful for. Not just Jackie, but all of them. Frank, Clemente.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Apr 15, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

wasn't Payton African American?

certainly looks it in the picture

by math_geek on Apr 15, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

payton

is definitely african-american…. maybe he just didn’t choose to wear it last year?

by Timmy L. on Apr 15, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I seem to remember

That management approached AJ about wearing the 42. Maybe it was their decision to only have one player do it?

Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.

by arlingtonOsFan on Apr 15, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty sure

it was 1 player per team until this year.

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on Apr 15, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Payton

is only half anyway. Half african-american, half amazing!

Always trust your cape. -Guy Clark

by BPinOK on Apr 15, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

dude that's not cool

’cause it implies that the part of him that sucks at baseball is the african american half.

;)

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Apr 15, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was pretty sure that all of him sucked...

just amazingly so.

Just because you know how to read, doesn't mean you'll like the book.

by arlingtonOsFan on Apr 15, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was in Toronto

for 2007 JAckie Robinson day against the Tigers. Both Granderson and Sheffield were wearing no. 42. So in that year, I think the African-American players had the choice (Vernon Wells also wore 42, but I think he was the only black starter on the bj’s) Also, haven’t some games in the past couple of years featured both teams having everyone wear No. 42?

by Timmy L. on Apr 15, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, it's a great day for the race -- the human race.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Apr 15, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's hope

That Adam Jones has a huge night tonight. I also think Charles Johnson and Jeffrey Hammonds could swing the bat real well off of Benson tonight.

by Timmy L. on Apr 15, 2009 4:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I usually

hope that he has a crappy night at the plate but I think tonight I’ll cheer for him.

Always trust your cape. -Guy Clark

by BPinOK on Apr 15, 2009 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Posted this on Titov's JR fanpost....but here it is again

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/News-and-Notes-Today-s-going-to-be-a-special-sc?urn=mlb,155943

People are crawling out of the woodwork with the hate.

by blawk359 on Apr 15, 2009 5:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

#42 gets grandfathered out for good

when Marino retires. Nice to know that, whatever you think of the team, the last guy to wear it as his regular number is a player of quality.

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Apr 15, 2009 6:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Has any pitcher

ever gotten so much out of two pitches? But that cut fastball of his is a wonder, to be sure…

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on Apr 15, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's the key to greatness in any sport

Other side knows exactly what’s coming & still can’t do a damn thing about it.

You can't fix stupid. Stupid is forever.

by sluggo 2.0 on Apr 15, 2009 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I tried to hate Rivera for years but at this point I’m just in awe of him. No closer has ever been this dominant, this long. Lots of guys have been that dominant briefly, lots of guys saved games forever, but Rivera’s 2008 might’ve been his best season. He’s ridiculous.

Bad Left Hook
Camden Chat

"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler

by SC on Apr 15, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs