Daring Play: How a Courageous Jackie Robinson Transformed Baseball
Chapter One PLAYING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP With almost 64,000 fans filling Yankee Stadium Jackie Robinson was ready to play His Brooklyn Dodgers had reached the World Series four times during Robinson’s career Each time they had faced the powerful New York Yankees Each time Robinson and his teammates had ended their season watching the Yankees celebrate another World Series title making them the champions of Major League Baseball Would the 1955 World Series be different To the Dodgers and their fans the Yankees were not just another team Although the two teams played in different leagues and different parts of New York City they were still rivals The World Series gave fans of both the Yankees and the Dodgers a chance to see their favorite teams face off with the winners getting to brag they were the best team in the city not to mention the major leagues But for the Brooklyn team the bragging had been missing They had never won a World Series and had only played in three before Robinson joined the team The Yankees meanwhile had won 16 World Series before 1955 including five in a row from 1949 to 1953 Dodger fans affectionately called their team Dem Bums but it was frustrating to watch the Dodgers lose season after season All the fans could say was Wait til next year
The stars of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers were ready to take the field Carl Furillo from left Jackie Robinson Roy Campanella Pee Wee Reese Duke Snider Preacher Roe and Gil Hodges A decade before the 1955 World Series Robinson’s baseball skills and personality attracted the attention of Branch Rickey the president general manager and part owner of the Dodgers Rickey had decided that it was time for the major leagues to recruit their first African-American player Rickey knew that the man chosen to break the color line that kept talented blacks out of the league had to be special Racism was common across the country and in many southern states segregation was a fact of life African-Americans weren’t allowed as guests in hotels and restaurants meant for white customers Most blacks in the South could not vote and their children went to inferior schools
Before Jackie Robinson left moved up to the major league Dodgers Branch Rickey signed him to a contract on October 23 1945 to play with the Montreal Royals the Dodgers top minor league team Rickey wanted the first black player to be smart brave and able to withstand racism without reacting angrily The player might seethe inside but he would not respond to the taunts and discrimination he would face Rickey was sure Robinson was the player he wanted Yet after Robinson became a Dodger and usually managed to keep his feelings inside his self-respect and desire to win sometimes came to the surface When he spoke his mind about racial issues or the treatment he received some whites thought he was complaining too much Stepping to the plate or taking his position on the field Robinson often heard boos A sportswriter told him that the press and some fans disliked him because he was too aggressive Few white players would have been criticized for that or for speaking honestly about their treatment as Robinson often did
Robinson officially broke the color line April 15 1947 when he made his major league debut against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn Robinson played a huge role in getting the Dodgers into the World Series starting in 1947 his first year in the big leagues He was a good hitter and an excellent fielder He played wherever the Dodgers needed him moving from second base to third or first Although a natural infielder he played more than 150 games in the outfield to help his team Robinson was also fast and ready to take risks on the base paths when necessary Just as important as his athletic skill was his playing style He always played hard and did anything he could to win Above anything else he once said I hate to lose
