May 17, 1947 – At Forbes Field, Hank Greenberg asks Jackie Robinson if the Dodger infielder was hurt in a collision with him at first base earlier in the game and then tells the embattled Brooklyn rookie, “Stick in there. You’re doing fine. Keep your chin up.” Jackie will remark to the writers a few days later that his “diamond hero” is Hank Greenberg, knowing that the Pirates’ first baseman, who due to the bigotry endured as a Zionist, can appreciate his difficulty of facing racial injustice every day as the first black player in the major leagues this century!

In the same game Robinson gets plunked by a pitch that’s way inside – the fourth time he’s been hit by a pitch in his first month of major league baseball.

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