Today is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, a terrific celebration in which baseball recognizes Robinson by having all of its players wear his number 42 in his honor.
I'm sure you've heard Robinson's story, and the courage and willpower he exhibited when facing constant hatred from the baseball community and beyond.
What we forget, though, is while Robinson was the first African-American in Major League history, other men had to go through essentially the same experience.
For example, if you are only a casual baseball fan, you might not have the slightest clue of who Larry Doby is.
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Eleven weeks later, on June 5, Larry Doby stepped onto the field donning a Cleveland Indians uniform. Like Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby was an African-American - the second in Major League history, and the first to play in the American League.
During the 1997 season, when Robinson's number 42 was being retired throughout baseball, and the still-living Larry Doby was being virtually ignored by the media, an editorial in Sports Illustrated pointed out that Doby had to suffer the same indignities that Robinson did, with nowhere near the media attention and implicit support.
Doby was still recognized for his play on the field though: appearing in seven All-Star games, and being selected by the Veterans Committee in 1998 into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Instrumental to Doby's success was Bill Veeck, the Indians owner who signed him in 1947. Veeck signed Doby for a second time in 1959, where he finished his playing career with the White Sox, and again in 1978, to become the second African-American manager in MLB history (with the ChiSox. Frank Robinson was the first African-American manager, in 1975.) Veeck was for Doby was what Branch Rickey was for Jackie Robinson: the man who gave him a chance.
While racial slurs were being hollered at Robinson, Doby was serenaded with hatred as well. It would have been the proper gesture by baseball to recognize Doby in a similar fashion as Jackie Robinson, but what the two of them accomplished cannot be taken away.
I would like to see a piece on Pumpsie Green, the first African-American player to play for the Boston Red Sox. In spite of being an abolitionist beacon in the early half of the 19th century, Boston was a horribly racist town. The Red Sox were the last team to integrate in 1959, an astounding 12 years after Robinson debuted in 1947. Owner Tom Yawkey was infamously racist. During an open tryout, Yawkey allegedly screamed, "Get those n***ers off the field."
ReplyDeleteAnd the Curse of the Bambino? I think not. It should have been called the Curse of the Racist Attitudes of Tom Yawkey. The Red Sox famously cut Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. A scout even discovered a slugging Alabaman named Hank Aaron. They passed on him too.
Put this in perspective: an outfield composed of Williams, Mays, and Aaron. Robinson and Bobby Doerr could have been double play partners. The Red Sox would have surely dominated the 1940s and 50s.
Poor Pumpsie Green. Green was not much of a ballplayer, but he sure contended with the ire of Red Sox fans. It is a shame he did not have the talent of Robinson. He could have served as a catalyst for social change in Boston. Instead, this racist nature would continue for decades. Mo Vaughn, for example, left Boston deeply disappointed.
I was looking up Green's interactions with Yawkey and I actually came across an article claiming that his remarks were during Jackie Robinson's infamous 1945 tryout at Fenway. He wouldn't even look at him. Sure came back to get him, and his team and its fan base.
ReplyDeleteGreen certainly had a difficult time dealing with the scrutiny in Boston. After a weekend of difficult losses he was found at an airport on his way to Israel, for an unknown reason. I could only assume it was to find some peace within his religion.
You are correct about Yawkey's comments being made during Robinson's Fenway tryout. I apologize for not making that entirely clear.
ReplyDeleteNot to diminish the legacy of Pumpsie Green, but the Red Sox decision to play him may have been a publicity stunt. The Sox were under some scrutiny for not debuting a black player. It was probably a case of the Red Sox just throwing the media a bone. As I stated, Pumpsie was not much of a ballplayer. His debut was a joke! He was inserted as a pinch runner to make his debut. The game was a one-run game, however. I highly doubt the Red Sox gave Green his debut on his own merits. I can't understand how Green would be favored over players like Aaron and Robinson.