Tuesday, 4/15/97 Score one for humanity Strength of character,
ability as baseball player allowed African American to blaze new
trails
By Kristina Wilcox Daily Bruin Senior Staff ackie Robinson was a
pioneer who cleared a path through a dense, large and hateful
forest, enabling others who followed him to avoid the same
difficulties he experienced clearing the way. There was no way
around the forest. No one had gone before him into this forest.
Robinson was told that a path was needed, and he was given tools –
a bat – to augment his powers that already included physical
strength, an iron will and strong determination. Robinson embarked
on this arduous mission. He knew that he had a special role to play
in furthering the progress of fellow minorities. He knew that
tremendous obstacles lay in his way, such as the ancient conifers
of racial hierarchy and racist wolves. But Robinson also knew that
there were kind creatures along the way who would guide him toward
the other end of the forest. After chopping through the trees and
fighting off the wolves, Robinson saw the light. There’s the end of
the challenge. Or so one would think. But no, another objective lay
ahead. Robinson had to bring the others through the forest; he had
to help them through the difficult path that he had managed to
mitigate for the time being, until technology allowed him, or
someone else, to pave a road through the forest. Jackie Robinson
cleared a path through the racism of organized sports so that other
athletes could follow his example. "I think I’m the right man to
pick for the test," Robinson once said. "There is no possible
chance that I will flunk it or quit before the end for any other
reason than that I am not a good enough ballplayer." He fought
through the challenges of racist fans, ballplayers and management.
He found friends in people like Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers
team president who hand-picked Robinson to become the first black
athlete in professional sports, and Pee Wee Reese, one of the
Dodgers who shared the shortstop duties with Robinson. Rickey
explained that he chose Robinson because he was a magnificent
person and player: "I had to get the right man (on) the field. I
couldn’t come with a man to break down a tradition that had
centered and concentrated all the prejudices of a great many
people, north and south, unless he was good. He must justify
himself on the principle of merit. He must be a great player; I
must not risk the excuse of trying to do something in the
sociological field, or in the race field, just because of a sort of
‘holier than thou.’ I wanted a man of exceptional intelligence, a
man who was able to grasp and control the responsibilities of
himself and to his race and could carry that load." Reese threw off
racist conventions when he said, "I began to wonder what the people
in Louisville would think about me playing with a colored boy. Then
I thought, the hell with who didn’t like it. He deserved a chance
just like everybody else." And a chance is definitely what Robinson
received. In 10 years with the Dodgers, he averaged .311 at the
plate, hit 137 home runs, drove in 734 runs and stole 197 bases.
Not bad for a man who started on the big club at age 28, on April
15, 1947. But when Robinson chose to end his career rather than
move with the Dodgers to Los Angeles, he had to make sure that
African American athletes continued to follow his precedent. He
also wanted to bring in African Americans and other minorities into
higher-level positions, such as manager, general manager and team
president. Aside from all of this sports-minded talk, Robinson
played a vital role in other realms. For example, he helped break
barriers in business by becoming a vice president in the Chock Full
O’ Nuts corporation. And one must not forget about the personal
part of Robinson’s life along with all of the baseball and business
he was involved in. In Sunday’s pregame ceremonies at the UCLA
baseball field, which bears the name of the most talented athlete
in the school’s history, former Negro Leaguer Sammie Haynes talked
about what a great family man Robinson was for his wife Rachel and
their three children. Even with the tremendous pressure put on him
by his career pursuits, he did not forget about the people who
helped him survive. As one can tell, no phase of American life and
culture went untouched by Robinson and his pursuits. He was an
athlete, businessman and family-oriented individual. He blazed a
trail through many forests before his premature death on Oct. 24,
1972, 25 years after he stepped up to the major-league challenge of
playing Dodger baseball on Ebbets Field. The Associated Press It
has been 50 years since Jackie Robinson, shown here attempting to
steal home, broke through the color barrier, changing baseball
forever. The Associated Press Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey
take a look at his major league contract. Continuing Coverage:
4/10/97 – Sports article on jackie robinson stadium, 50th
anniversary