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Baseball511.pptLesson 5:
Desegregation
Breaking the Color Barrier
In August of 1945, Branch Rickey, General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, recruited Jackie Robinson, a former UCLA all-American football player and a member of the Kansas City Monarchs, to sign a major league contract. The integration of America’s pastime was about to begin.
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Jackie Robinson
Making the transition from the Monarchs to the Dodgers would be no easy task. The nightmare began during spring training of 1946 in Florida where The Montreal
Royals to which Robinson was assigned were “locked out” of several exhibition games because he was on the roster.
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Jackie Breaks in with Brooklyn
Jackie broke in with Brooklyn in the spring of 1947. Befriended by Dodger shortstop and captain, Pee Wee Reese, he soon became an all-star member of that year’s National League pennant-winning team. He was the National League Rookie of the Year.
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The “Grand Experiment” Works
Enduring incredible abuse throughout the league except when at home in Brooklyn, Robinson justified Rickey’s faith in him and went on to become one of the greatest Dodgers of all time. His legacy continues to the present day with his number 42 having been retired in all of major league baseball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.
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Other Pioneers
Following Robinson to the Dodgers were catcher Roy Campanella (above left) and pitcher Don Newcombe. Both had outstanding careers.
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Other Pioneers
Larry Doby (above right) was the first African-American to play in the American league (Cleveland), and Monte Irvin broke in with the New York Giants
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The Say Hey Kid
Perhaps the most glamorous of the first wave of African-American major leaguers was the Giant’s Willie Mays. Signed in 1950, he broke in with the big league club in 1951 and is believed by some to be the greatest center fielder in baseball history. He is remembered in both song and story.
The Latecomers
The Boston Red Sox who gave Robinson a cursory tryout in the mid-40’s were the last to integrate when Pumpsie Green joined their big league roster in 1959. Elston Howard (below right) was the first African-American to join the Yankees in 1955. Howard went on to have a all-star career. Green was much less successful as a big league player.
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