[kellynla]

[kellynla]

Please correct the title.
Should say “Jackie’s impact will be felt today”

Thanks

[cripplecreek]

They were talking abut retiring the number 42 during the Tiger’s game today. One of the White Sox players wears that number.

9-0 Tigers BTW.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090414&content_id=4268956&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

[GOP_Raider]

All of this without the need for affirmative action. (This coming from a die-hard Giants fan).

[truth_seeker]

A few years later, when I was a Little Leaguer, in nearby OC, my favorite was Charlie Neal who played 2nd base for th LA Dodgers.

We went to a few games at the Coliseum, and saw “Moon shots”, Gil Hodges, Duke Snyder, Carl Furrilo, Koufax, Drysdale, etc.

From then for the next few years, it was Golden for the LA Dodgers.

Titles, and Koufax perfect game. At his peak possibly the most unhittable pitcher ever.

[MindBender26]

One of the great false American sports myths is that Jackie Robinson was the first Black man to play major league baseball.

The truth is that a number of Blacks had competed in MLB, but they were (falsely) called “Cubans.” Everyone in professional baseball was in on the scam, but that’s how they got away with using great Black players without admitting they were Black. Robinson's introduction to baseball and admission that he was Black was more of a marketing ploy by Dodger owner Branch Rickey than anything else.

This is to take nothing away from Robinson. He was a WWII vet, an officer, a great baseball player, and he was the first man willing to take the risks of admitting to being a Black man in a previously (supposedly) all-White sport.

[stylin19a]

62 years later, there are hardly any blacks playing MLB anymore.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Sad thing is hardly anybody knows about Larry Doby, who was the first black AL player, just a few weeks later.

Just a matter of days between history and irrelevance.