Jackie Robinson

It’s a rare combination that allows an individual to change the world. It’s having the skills and abilities to be able to be in the public eye and having the courage to make a stand once they are there.
60 years ago, Jackie Robinson made his debut in the major leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 15th, 1947 more than just a baseball game happened. On that day, the longest and hardest civil rights battle in the history of this country achieved one of its greatest victories.
Robinson became the first African-American player because of the courage of not only himself but of others as well. Branch Rickey making the decision to be the first owner to employee an African-American player. As a wealthy white man in the 1940’s, he could have chosen not to go along with this experiment and avoid all the criticism. He could have chosen to be accepted by his peers. But he didn’t. He had a great idea and he went with it knowing full well the implications. He was going to change this country and he was going to do it the right way. Famously telling Robinson “I want the player who has the guts not to fight back.” Rickey knew that this would be the battle of Robinson’s life. A battle that could not be won with fists, but with thick skin. Rickey was going to win this battle and he was going to win by showing the love that was absent from everyone else.
And it was Robinson’s infield colleague Pee Wee Reese that showed the courage on the field when it would have been so easy to do nothing. It was Reese’s hug that silenced the hate. With Robinson being heckled by the crowed, he put his arm around his friend in an action that spoke louder than words ever could.
Not only did Robinson’s breakthrough pave the way for African-Americans in baseball it paved the way for African-Americans in society. It opened the door for people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to stand up in the coming decades. And even today his heroism still has influence. When racism and hatred is prevalent, people have the ability to stand up. They can speak up when prejudice happens.
So when baseball celebrated the 60th anniversary this past Sunday it should be a day that was appreciated by not only baseball fans but anyone who has ever experienced prejudice, racism, hate or anyone who is proud that this world has individuals that will make a stand. And baseball did so much to honor Robinson’s legacy. In 1997 commissioner Bud Selig retired Robinson’s #42 jersey from all of major league baseball. But on Sunday, Selig temporarily revoked his mandate allowing Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to don the number as well has several teams to allow all their players to wear the number for the day including Robinson’s former franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Job well done for Commissioner Selig and all of baseball on that day to honor Robinson, because the man represented so many things that are right not just about baseball but life. He showed us that baseball sees no color, that greatness sees no color and that the right to be the best you can be sees no color. Robinson made a breakthrough that changed our world.