The Jackie Robinson Story: Challenge and Triumph

“Jackie’s character was much more important than his batting average.”
– Hank Aaron 

Jim Brown was possibly the greatest running back in NFL history. Brown was a superhero for many of us boys growing up in Cleveland in the 50s and early 60s. He is the only running back to have averaged more than a 100 yards per game for an entire career. (106)

Though his achievements were evident to all, cited weekly in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, there was another side that we didn't see from the stands or on TV: how he was treated as a black man. 

In his autobiography he describes how defensive players would grab handfuls of dirt and, when he was under a pile of tacklers, fling the dirt into his eyes. Keep in mind that many of his opponents came from a Jim Crowe South where blacks were supposed to use separate bathrooms and separate drinking fountains.

These stories sprang to mind when photographer Gary Firstenberg sent me a batch of photos he took at the Jackie Robinson Museum. Robinson was the first black man to cross the color barrier from the Negro League to the all-white Major League Baseball fraternity. He not only had to be an exceptional ballplayer, it was equally important to be a man of character. 

Actually, Robinson was a gifted athlete in many sports. While at UCLA he excelled in baseball, football, basketball, and track, showcasing his incredible range of skills. We only know him as the first black player in modern baseball history.

Robinson was a versatile ballplayer, excelling at third base, second and first. His bat and aggressive play made him a challenging foe for any pitcher. He was especially famous for his daring baserunning, stealing home 19 times in his career. 

When the time came, after hanging up his cleats, Robinson was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Later, his legacy was affirmed permanently retiring his number, 42.

It was Hemingway who coined the phrase "Grace under pressure" to define courage. It was Robinson who exemplified it. Robinson endured relentless racism from fans, opponents, and even some teammates. He faced racial slurs, threats, and physical intimidation but adhered to an agreement with Dodgers' general manager Branch Rickey to not retaliate for the first two years. His ability to endure this abuse while excelling on the field demonstrated extraordinary mental toughness and inspired millions.

[EdNote: I remember what Hank Aaron went through years later. As he neared Babe Ruth's home run record of 714, Aaron became to receive death threats if he dared to hit more home runs than the Bambino. To hear these kinds of stories is heartbreaking.]

After his retirement from baseball Robinson became part of the Civil Rights Movement, showing that talent and character, not skin color, determine worth. He used his role as a leader to push for social and economic equality. 

Jackie Robinson’s greatness lay in his ability to excel as an athlete while bearing the burden of breaking barriers with dignity, courage, and grace. He was more than just a baseball player—he was a transformative figure who made an impact on both sports and society.

https://jackierobinson.org/
https://www.jackierobinsonmuseum.org/

Photos courtesy Gary Firstenberg

Trouble with the Curve: More than a Baseball Flick

"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal."--George Will

Last week my friend Phil and I were talking about baseball movies. We listed favorites and commented on also-rans. We also each learned about a few films we'd not yet seen. One of these, for me, was the 2012 release Trouble with the Curve, starring Amy Adams, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake and a crotchety Clint Eastwood. 

Eastwood (Gus) is an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves whose eyesight is beginning to deteriorate. Adams is Eastwood's estranged daughter, a hard-working attorney on the verge of becoming a partner at a law firm. Gus named her Mickey after his favorite baseball player, Mickey Mantle. 

The setting is ten years or so into the "moneyball" era. If you remember Moneyball, the film based on the Michael Lewis book by the same name, you'll recall that it took place in that transition period when computer algorithms began displacing the traditional system of sending out scouts to find new talent. It became an almost total reliance on data. Gus is a throwback whose perceived value is questionable to the younger scouts who live by the data. 

The backstory here is that Gus lost the wife he loved when Mickey was six. For reasons that come out later in the film, Gus and his daughter have an unresolved issue to deal with. 

Pete Klein, a longtime friend, is concerned enough about Gus that he intercedes and asks Mickey to help her father in an important scouting assignment. She reluctantly agrees because she's in the middle of a major project which may have a bearing on her becoming the first female partner at the legal firm she works for.

Well, Mickey knows baseball because baseball was her father's life and in choosing to join her father on a North Carolina scouting trip she...

As it turns out, the film is a father-daughter story with a baseball setting. It's also a feel-good with a measure of predictability. Nevertheless, it's a worthy baseball movie that you ought to see, in the event you missed it when it was released.

I like seeing John Goodman in a "normal" role, as opposed to those over-the-top characters he played in Flight and Inside Llewyn Davis. Goodman shows the value of longtime friends who notice and care about what we're going through.

As an aside, I couldn't help but think of Bill Belichick as I watched Mickey step up and show how much she knew about baseball by growing up with her father. Bill Belichick's dad was a football coach, and by age eight little Billy was learning how to assess defenses by watching game films. He was a student of the game from a very early age.

I suppose we should mention Justin Timberlake (Johnny). He's a scout for the Red Sox. Boston has the first pick in the MLB draft and Johnny is evaluating the same stud power hitter that the Braves are. One of the subplots is Mickey's personal love life. There's a lawyer with the firm who has a serious interest in her, but she's remaining non-committal, for reasons that come out later. You can tell that there's more electricity developing between her and Johnny as the story moves along. Will it end the way her other relationships have floundered?

Not that we care all that much. It's not high drama, just a comfortable ride with some characters we have grown to like and enjoy being with as they work out their problems.

Watching Trouble with the Curve did bring back a few baseball bmemories. When I played ball in the Babe Ruth League our team had a pitcher that some scouts from the Pittsburg Pirates were paying attention to. And another time, when I was playing varsity ball in high school, I faced a pitcher from Piscataway who was being scouted for MLB potential. When Ron Fulop, our first baseman, hit a triple off one of his fastballs, this "superstar" pitcher got rattled. I was up next and he whizzed four adrenaline-injected, supersonic pitches shoulder height and higher. I drew a walk. 

I never did find out if either of those guys made it to the majors. 

For a great read about how a kid from Panama became the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history, read The Closer. Here's my review of this inspiring baseball story.

Robert Lookup's Unusual List of Important Dates In Major League Baseball

The other day I mentioned a meeting I had with Eric Ringsred, a local doctor with whom I have shared a mutual friendship. The mutual friend was Robert Lookup, a unique man, sensitive soul, savant and street person who was part of mine and Susie's life for ten years.

Today is Throwback Thursday, so I am sharing all the events in Robert Lookup's "Important Dates In Baseball History." As they say, "It happens every spring." The birds fly north, the snow melts and a new baseball season begins. (Oh, and yes, people fall in love.)

As is occasionally the case, the 2022 season had some hiccups in preseason, and we weren't quite sure when this year's opening day would commence. Fortunately, it wasn't too dastardly. As usual, there have been some interesting April stories. I just happened to be listening to Clayton Kershaw's "almost" perfect game. He was actually pulled after seven innings... despite the very real possibility of his joining an elite group of pitchers, 23 all-time to have achieved that. Then again, he will be in the Hall of Fame and... well. 

Anyways, here, all in one place, are Robert Lookup's list of important events that I shared a couple years ago. 

April
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/02/important-dates-in-major-league.html

May
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/03/important-dates-in-major-league.html

June
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/04/important-dates-in-major-league.html

July
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/05/important-dates-in-baseball-history.html

August
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/07/important-dates-in-mlb-baseball-history.html

September and October
https://pioneerproductions.blogspot.com/2020/09/important-dates-in-major-league.html

 

Here is a link to one of Robert's favorite films, The Burmese Harp, which he encouraged me to watch. This is a review (with anecdotes).

Robert: Thanks for the memories, precious all.

Kim Ng Becomes First Female General Manager of a Major League Sports Team

What does a GM do in Major League Baseball? To find out, watch Brad Pitt in Moneyball. Or, if you prefer, read the book. It's a good book and I've read it twice. (And if you listen to audiobooks, I'll loan you mine.) Essentially, the General Manager handles the business of negotiating player contracts, the dollars and sense.

This past week the Miami Marlins announced that they were hiring Kim Ng as their new general manager, thereby making her MLB's first female GM.  

When I saw the story trending on Twitter I had several immediate thoughts. First, when did the Florida Marlins become the Miami Marlins? I guess I'd not been paying attention as much as I should. Second, this is an interesting breakthrough. When will women be accepted as umpires?

I raise this latter question because my cousin Theresa was mentioned in a 2011 ESPN story titled Women Umpires Are Striking Out In MLB and again in this 2012 story in Women's Voices for Change.

In 2016 I addressed this umpire issue in a blog post titled Major League Baseball: Some Things Have Changed and Some Haven't in the Umpire Business. In that story I noted that women have served on the Supreme Court. Women have served as heads of state (e.g. Margaret Thatcher) and women are CEOs of major corporations. But there are no female Major League umpires. Why is this? Are baseball's rules more complicated than the U.S. legal system?

* * * *
The Kim Ng has many interesting features, one of them being that four years ago the Marlins became the first Major League team to have a black CEO, none other that the highly respected Derek Jeter. 

Ng comes into the role with a strong resume, 30+ years in the business. On Twitter the show of support has been massive, not only for breaking the gender barrier but also being a minority. Even Michelle Obama Tweeted her enthused response to the move.

"I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next General Manager," Ng said in a statement. "We are building for the long term in South Florida, developing a forward-thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, laid a great foundation for success.

You can read ESPN's account here: 
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30310018/miami-marlins-hire-kim-ng-mlb-first-female-general-manager

Congrats, Kim.

Important Dates in Major League Baseball from September and October

This is a continuation of the Robert Lookup Baseball Trivia Series.

* * * *

IMPORTANT DATES
in Major League Baseball
September / October 

* * * *

September 1, 1906
Joe Harris of the Boston Red Sox pitches 24 innings in one game, an American League record.

Pitcher Walter Johnson was one of the great ones.

September 4, 1908
Walter Johnson shuts out the Yankees/Highlanders 3-0, the first of three shutouts against the Yankees in four days. Saturday's September 5 game was 6-0 and Monday's 4-0.

September 5, 2001
Roger Clemens bests the Jays 4-3 for his 19th win out of 20 decisions, tying Rube Marquanrd of the 1912 New York Giants. Clemens also passed Jack Chesbro and Whitey Ford for the longest winning streak in Yankee history. Chesbro won 14 straight in 1904 and Ford 14 in 1961.

September 6, 1990
Cal Ripken plays in his 2,131st consecutive game to surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record. Baltimore beat Anaheim 4-3.

September 7, 1993
Mark Whiten of the Cards hits four home runs. He had 12 RBIs in the first game and 1 RBI in the second of a double header.

September 10, 2000
Randy Johnson becomes the 12th player in Major League history to reach 3,000 strikeouts, fanning a season high 14 i seven innings as Arizona lost 4-3 to Florida in 12 innings.

Sept 16, 1997
Curt Schilling strikes out 9 in Phillies win over the Mets to become the 13th pitcher since 1900 to achieve 300 strikeouts in a season.

September 22, 1904
Jim O'Rourke plays one game for the New York Giants and singles in four at bats. He plays catcher that day. 54 years old, he also played for the original Boston Nationals, the only National League player to play both in 1876 and the 20th Century.

September 22, 1911
Cy Young, 44, beats Pittsburgh 1-0 for his 511th and last victory.

September 25, 1995
Seattle uses 11 pitchers in a game, the most ever.

October 3, 1951

The historic homer by Bobby Thompson.

The shot heard round the world. Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants hits a 3-run homer in the ninth inning of the third game to beat the Dodgers 5-4 and win the National League pennant. (EdNote: When I was a bus boy at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in 1969-70, Bobby Thomson was a member there. On one occasion, another employee took me downstairs where the lockers were and pointed to him, saying, "There's Bobby Thomson" as I peaked round the corner. He was putting on his cleats to head out for a round of golf.)

October 3, 1993
The Blue Jays become the first team in American League history to have teammates finish 1-2-3 in the batting race. John Olerud led the league in hitting, .363; Paul Molitor hit .322; Roberto Alomar hit .326.

October 8, 1959
Mike Morgan is born in Tulare, California

October 20, 1931
Mickey Mantle is born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma.

* * * *

Related Links
A-List of all MLB pitchers with 300 strikeouts or more in a single season.
The shot heard round the world.

Important Dates in Major League Baseball for the Month of April

These notes were assembled by the late Robert Lookup, a street person whom my wife and I befriended for the last 10 years of his life. We'd nicknamed him Train Man because of his passion for trains. At the time I was introduced to him he had watched every movie in the Duluth Public Library and rated each on the basis of their train scenes, for accuracy and interest value. All his notes were collected on 4x6 index cards, written in a crimped handwriting style similar to the handwritten lyrics of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row.

Robert was a man quite passionate about his obsessions. One of these was birthdays. He knew everyone by their birthday. He was a savant in that way, not dissimilar from Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man.  He was also passionate about baseball. He loved the stats, and baseball has them in abundance. But, like his other passion, every player has a birthday, and I'm willing to guess that he knew the birthday of every famous player as well as many of the lesser known. (He loved underdogs and the world's nobodies.)

Hence he loved learning as much as he could about the forgotten parts of baseball. He once had me do research to identify how many minor league baseball stadiums there were in the 1930s and how many were still active.

All this is backstory for where these lists come from: Important Dates in Major League Baseball. In sharing them here I have added a date or detail a couple of times, but overall the decisions regarding what to include or leave out are all Robert's.

Tim Gouw courtesy Unsplash

* * * *

IMPORTANT DATES -- APRIL

* * * *

April 2, 1876
First official National League baseball game. Boston 6, Philadelphia 5

I have two copies of this 1964 Topps card. Will sell one to
highest bidder if interested.

April 8, 1974
Hank Aaron hits Home Run # 715

April 8, 1975
Frank Robinson of Cleveland debuts as first black manager in Major League Baseball

April 13, 1914
First Federal League game played in Baltimore. Baltimore 3, Buffalo 2

April 15, 1947
Jackie Robinson becomes first black Major League ballplayer in 20th century.

April 16, 1940
Bob Feller beats the White Sox 1-0 in Chicago. Only opening day no-hitter in Major League history.

April 17, 1976
Mike Schmidt hits four consecutive home runs for the Phillies to erase a 15-2 deficit to the Cubs of Chicago. Phillies go on to win 18-16 in ten innings.

April 20, 1916
Cubs played their first game at Weedhman Park, beating Cincinnati 7-6. Re-named Wrigley Field in 1926.

April 23, 1999
Fernando Tatis hits 2 Grand Slam Home Runs in one inning, first player ever to do this. His eight RBIs in one inning is a Major League record.

April 26, 1905
Jack McCarthy of the Cubs becomes the only outfielder in Major League history to throw out three at the plate in a single game. Final score: Pittsburgh 2, Cubs 1.

April 30, 1919
Joe Oeschgen of the Phillies and Brooklyn's Burleigh Grimes pitch a 9-9 tie in 20 innings.
(Burleigh Grimes was the last player permitted to legally throw a spitball. He ended his career with 270 wins and was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame.)


Related Links
Top MLB Offseason Storylines
Remembering the 100th Anniversary of the Negro Leagues 
A Day in the Life of Robert Lookup