On October 24, 1972, Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson , weakened by complications of heart disease and diabetes, dies of a heart attack in his home in North Stamford, Connecticut. The 53 year-old nearly blind baseball pioneer and social activist’s death comes nine days after his appearance at the World Series, where he threw the ceremonial…
October 15, 1972. at Riverfront Stadium Jackie Robinson makes his final appearance at a ballpark prior to Game 2 of the World Series between Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds. He urges baseball to hire a black manager. The first African- American skipper will not be hired until 1975 when the Indians employed Frank Robinson…
April 4, 1968 “…The world has always talked against great men. The best way to keep from getting talked about is to do nothing…acclaim him for what he is – a great leader of the Twentieth century who is concerned about all of God’s children.” – Jackie Robinson @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Other Resources…
On January 29, 1967, former Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey and Pittsburgh Pirates hitting great Lloyd Waner are elected to the Hall of Fame. In 1947 in a unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee, Rickey promoted Jackie Robinson to the major leagues, effectively breaking baseball’s color line.
March 17, 1965 Jackie Robinson is hired to be an analyst for ABC’s Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts, becoming the first black network broadcaster. ABC provides the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. Robinson later worked as a part-time commentator for the Montreal Expos in 1972.
On July 23, 1962, Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black player to participate in major league ball during the 20th century, also becomes the first African-American elected to the shrine. Jackie Robinson burst onto the scene in 1947, breaking baseball’s color…
Pitcher Bob Feller and infielder Jackie Robinson are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility.
Twenty-eight months after the Dodgers play their last game in Brooklyn, the demolition of Ebbets Field finally begins when a wrecking ball, painted with red and white stitches, begins its work on the ballpark Brooklyn called home for 44 years. Before the demolition wheel-chair bound Roy Campanella, the team’s former All-Star catcher and three-time National League MVP is given an urn of dirt from behind home plate in front of a crowd of 200 faithful fans.
On July 21, 1959, the Boston Red Sox become the last team to debut a black player when Elijah “Pumpsie” Green appears in a game as a pinch-runner for Vic Wertz and shortstop. Green’s debut with Boston comes 12 years after Jackie Robinson’s historic debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In an interview with the Red Sox released…
1957 – Some 10 years after Jackie Robinson broke the major league color barrier, the Georgia Senate unanimously approves a bill prohibiting blacks from playing baseball with white players, except at religious gatherings. The bill was put forth by Senator Leon Butts. At the time, Georgia does not have a major league team, but does have several minor league teams.
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