query: who was the owner of the dodgers when jackie robinson played

pos: Branch Rickey Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. He was perhaps best known for breaking Major League Baseball's color barriers by signing black player Jackie Robinson, as well as for creating the framework for the modern minor league farm system, for encouraging the Major Leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League, and for introducing the batting helmet. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967, two years after his death. Rickey played in MLB for the St. Louis Browns

neg: Brooklyn Dodgers (Continental Football League) him in their promotional materials. Robinson, who briefly played professional football in the old Pacific Coast League in the 1940s, was actually hired as a figurehead with little say over the day-to-day actions of the team; his role was mostly limited to public appearances, such as attending "Jackie Robinson Day" when the Dodgers played in Montreal, where he had played for the minor-league Montreal Royals in 1946. Andy Robustelli was the Dodgers' head coach, while Tom Kennedy, who also played with the club when it was in Providence in 1965, was the starting quarterback. After Kennedy led the Continental in

neg: Dewey Robinson the Ben Turpin short "Keystone Hotel" in 1935. In the 1940s, Robinson was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in eight films written and directed by Sturges. In 1950, near the end of his career, Robinson played a Brooklyn Dodgers fan in "The Jackie Robinson Story" who progressed from bigotry to exuberant support of Jackie Robinson. Robinson died in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 11, 1950 from a heart attack, but because he worked so prolifically, films in which he appeared continued to be seen until 1952, when "At Sword's Point", a Musketeer adventure, was

neg: Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, they heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson had an exceptional 10-year MLB career. He

neg: Al Campanis played for the Brooklyn Dodgers as a second baseman for seven games late in their 1943 season. He then served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, reaching the rank of Chief Petty Officer. After returning from the war, Campanis rejoined the Montreal Royals. With Montreal in 1946, Campanis played 116 games at shortstop and was teammates with Jackie Robinson, who played 119 games at second base. Campanis remained with Montreal in 1947, while Robinson played for the Dodgers, breaking the baseball color line. Campanis' final season playing professional baseball was 1948, when he was player-manager of the Nashua

neg: Joe Black of Summer". Black helped the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues win two championships in seven years. He and Jackie Robinson pushed for a pension plan for Negro League players and instrumental in the inclusion of players who played before 1944. Black then played for a year in the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league system. The Dodgers promoted Black to the major leagues in 1952 at 28, five years after teammate Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. He roomed with Robinson while with Brooklyn. Black was chosen Rookie of the Year after winning 15 games and saving 15 others for

neg: Jackie Robinson Times" wrote that Robinson, "doing that rare thing of playing himself in the picture's leading role, displays a calm assurance and composure that might be envied by many a Hollywood star." Robinson's Hollywood exploits, however, did not sit well with Dodgers co-owner Walter O'Malley, who referred to Robinson as "Rickey's prima donna". In late 1950, Rickey's contract as the Dodgers' team President expired. Weary of constant disagreements with O'Malley, and with no hope of being re-appointed as President of the Dodgers, Rickey cashed out his one-quarter financial interest in the team, leaving O'Malley in full control of the franchise. Rickey

neg: Jackie Robinson later recalled that Chapman "did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers. When he poured out that string of unconscionable abuse, he solidified and united thirty men." Robinson did, however, receive significant encouragement from several major league players. Robinson named Lee "Jeep" Handley, who played for the Phillies at the time, as the first opposing player to wish him well. Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese once came to Robinson's defense with the famous line, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." In 1948, Reese put his arm around Robinson in response to fans

neg: Baseball large number of minor league teams disbanded when World War II led to a player shortage. Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley led the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to help keep the game in the public eye. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred in 1945: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal. In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with the Dodgers. Latin American players, largely overlooked before, also started

neg: Jackie Robinson Day earn three hits each during the Dodgers game. Ethier hit a home run which drove in the first four runs of the season for the Dodgers, who stole five bases — their most since August 23, 1999 when they stole seven in a game at Milwaukee. "It's kind of cool to have a decent game on Jackie Robinson Day," Martin said. "I’m going to remember this probably for the rest of my life." Randy Wolf, who was playing for the Dodgers at the time (currently a free agent) allowed six hits and three runs in six innings and struck out

neg: Marv Rackley the service and also played some semi-pro baseball. In 1946, Rackley was discharged and returned to organized baseball. The Dodgers sent him to the Montreal Royals of the International League, where he was teammates with Jackie Robinson in Robinson's first minor league season. While Robinson was the star of the team, Rackley also played well, batting .305 and leading the league in triples (14) and stolen bases (64). Montreal won the pennant and the Junior World Series. After the season, Robinson hired Rackley to play on the Jackie Robinson All-Stars exhibition team. Rackley joined the Dodgers in 1947. He made

neg: Don Hoak was rewarded by a spot on the Brooklyn Dodgers roster. During his two seasons with the Dodgers, Hoak shared third base duties with Jackie Robinson and Billy Cox. In 1955, the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series to win their only championship in Brooklyn. Hoak played third base in place of Robinson in the seventh and deciding game of that Series—the only World Series game Robinson did not play in during his career when his team was in the World Series. After the season, Hoak was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 1956, Hoak batted .215

neg: Gene Hermanski to use a month-long break to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. "Hermanski hit a homer and two triples in an exhibition game with the Red Sox and poled out a homer and a double in a contest with the Braves." When Hermanski played for the Brooklyn Dodgers along with Jackie Robinson, he demonstrated he was a great teammate by suggesting that all of the players stand in solidarity by wearing No. 42 to confuse potential snipers who were said to be out to kill Robinson because he had broken the color barrier. Hermanski died in Homosassa Springs, Florida, at the

neg: Herb Pennock in 1950, including Curt Simmons and Willie Jones. He also created a "Grandstand Managers Club", the first in baseball history, allowing fans to give feedback to the team, and advocated for the repeal of the Bonus Rule. Pennock opposed racial integration in baseball. In 1947, when Jackie Robinson was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pennock called Dodgers team president Branch Rickey before the Dodgers' series in Philadelphia and told him not to "bring that nigger here with the rest of the team." He further threatened to boycott a 1947 game between the Phillies and Dodgers if Robinson played. In 1948,

neg: Montreal Royals League Baseball Club Inc. Board of Directors, Montreal Royals owner and team president, Hector Racine, and Brooklyn Dodgers general manager, Branch Rickey, signed Jackie Robinson, an African-American. Robinson played with the Royals during the 1946 season. John Wright and Roy Partlow, black pitchers, also played with the Royals that year. During that season, Robinson faced the race-related resistance from his manager (a Mississippian, Clay Hopper) and teammates but soon won them over with his masterful play (beginning with his spectacular debut in the opening game against the Jersey City Giants) and courage facing hostile crowds and opponents. As for his

neg: 2007 Major League Baseball season that any player who wanted to wear number 42 on his jersey could. The jersey was worn without the players' name on the back, as was the case when Robinson played with the Brooklyn Dodgers. All jerseys that were worn were auctioned off with all the proceeds donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, an organization which awards scholarships to African-American high school graduates to further themselves in colleges academically. The Dodgers, Cardinals, and Brewers elected to have the entire team wear number 42 in his honor. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Phillies, and Astros were also scheduled to share that honor, but

neg: Municipal Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri) with the Monarchs include: Cristóbal Torriente, Andy Cooper, Turkey Stearnes, Cool Papa Bell, Bill Foster, Willie Wells, Ernie Banks, and the legendary Jackie Robinson. After being discharged from the United States Army, Jackie Robinson signed with the Monarchs for the 1945 season. He played shortstop and was selected to play in the East-West All-Star game. While playing for the Monarchs, Robinson was scouted by the Dodgers' Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson on October 23, 1945. Robinson broke the color barrier in the Major Leagues on April 15, 1947. The Kansas City Blues were one of the eight founding members of

neg: Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Both Jacksonville and Sanford refused to allow the game due to segregation laws. Daytona Beach permitted the game, which was played on March 17, 1946. This contributed to Robinson breaking the Major Leagues' color barrier the following year when he joined the Dodgers. The refusal by Jacksonville, previously the Dodgers' spring training home, led the team to host spring training in Daytona in 1947 and build Dodgertown in Vero Beach for the 1948 season. A statue of Robinson is now located at the south entrance to the ballpark. The ballpark was previously the home field of the Daytona Beach Islanders

neg: Dixie Walker Jackie Robinson joining the team, and he wrote a letter to Dodgers owner Branch Rickey asking to be traded. In a 1981 interview, Walker explained that his trade request was not due to Robinson, but because Walker had become a scapegoat for opposition within the team. In his 2002 book, "The Era, 1947-1957", author Roger Kahn wrote that Walker admitted to starting the Dodgers' player petition in 1947, in which the signers opposed the integration of baseball. In an interview with Kahn, Walker stated, "I organized that petition in 1947, not because I had anything against Robinson personally or against

neg: 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers season 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers season The 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers held off the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League title by one game. The Dodgers lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in five games. Jackie Robinson led the NL in hitting and stolen bases and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Robinson was the first black player to win the NL MVP. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note: G = Games played;

neg: Jackie Robinson House is two bays wide, with the entrance set in the right-hand bay. 5224 is the left unit, which has a band of three sash windows in the left bay, topped by a porch with a wooden railing and metal awning supported by decorative metal supports. The house was built sometime between 1912 and 1916. From 1947 to 1949 it was home to baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major leagues. Robinson had been signed to a contract in 1945 by Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he was called up to the major

neg: Jackie Robinson season, Robinson returned home to California and briefly played professional basketball for the short-lived Los Angeles Red Devils. In 1947, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues six days before the start of the season. With Eddie Stanky entrenched at second base for the Dodgers, Robinson played his initial major league season as a first baseman. On April 15, Robinson made his major league debut at the relatively advanced age of 28 at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, more than 14,000 of whom were black. Although he failed to get a base hit, he walked

neg: Jackie Robinson double, and a single in the same game. The Dodgers briefly moved into first place in the National League in late August 1948, but they ultimately finished third as the Braves went on to win the league title and lose to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 as a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Larry Doby (who broke the color barrier in the American League on July 5, 1947, just 11 weeks after Robinson) and Satchel Paige played for the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers had three other

neg: Jackie Robinson Day season for the Dodgers. Owned by former Dodger owner Peter O'Malley, Historic Dodgertown hosted the 2014 celebration by putting on a minor league exhibition game. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of Robinson's major league debut, the Dodgers unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson at Dodger Stadium. The statue, located in the stadium's left-field plaza, depicts Robinson sliding into home plate as a rookie. Due to a weather postponement of their originally scheduled game on April 15, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees honored Robinson’s legacy on May 14 and June 4

neg: Ebbets Field was the saddest day of his life. It was a difficult task for Saul, who had been a faithful fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was heartbroken when the team relocated. Apartments were built on the former Ebbets Field site, and were named the Ebbets Field Apartments upon their opening in 1962. They were renamed the Jackie Robinson Apartments in 1972, the year Robinson died. Middle School 320, across McKeever Place, was renamed Jackie Robinson Intermediate School. In January 2014, the street sign that once stood at the corner of McKeever Place and Montgomery Street was sold at auction for

neg: 1947 Cleveland Indians season 1947 Cleveland Indians season The Cleveland Indians season was the 47th in franchise history. On July 5, Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier. Doby was signed by the Indians by owner and team president Bill Veeck in July, 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson appeared with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League. In his rookie season, Doby hit 5-for-32 in 29 games. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note: G = Games played; AB = At

neg: Sam Lacy one such piece in 1945, Lacy wrote: However, Lacy did not make any headway on the issue until Landis died in late 1944. Lacy began a dialogue with Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, and Landis's successor in the commissioner's office, Happy Chandler, lent his support to the effort. It ultimately led to Jackie Robinson signing with the Dodgers' minor league team, the Montreal Royals on October 23, 1945, which was Lacy's 42nd birthday. Lacy spent the next three years covering Jackie's struggle for acceptance and a spot in the big leagues. He traveled with Robinson to the Royals' games at

neg: History of the Brooklyn Dodgers 1946, with the concomitant demise of the Negro Leagues, and is regarded as a key moment in the history of the American civil rights movement. Robinson was an exceptional player, a speedy runner who sparked the team with his intensity. He was the inaugural recipient of the Rookie of the Year award, which is now named the Jackie Robinson award in his honor. The Dodgers' willingness to integrate, when most other teams refused to, was a key factor in their 1947–1956 success. They won six pennants in those 10 years with the help of Robinson, three-time MVP Roy Campanella, Cy

neg: Los Angeles Dodgers of the Negro Leagues, and is regarded as a key moment in the history of the American Civil Rights movement. Robinson was an exceptional player, a speedy runner who sparked the team with his intensity. He was the inaugural recipient of the Rookie of the Year award, which is now named the Jackie Robinson Award in his honor. The Dodgers' willingness to integrate, when most other teams refused to, was a key factor in their 1947–1956 success. They won six pennants in those 10 years with the help of Robinson, three-time MVP Roy Campanella, Cy Young Award winner Don Newcombe,

neg: 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers season 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers season The 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals. The two teams played in the first ever playoff series to decide the pennant, and the Cardinals took two straight to win the title. With their star players back from the war, Brooklyn had jumped back into serious contention. They would be respectable until their move to Los Angeles 10 years later. This season was the team's – and Major League Baseball's – last non-integrated one. On October 23, 1945, the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson as a free agent. Robinson

neg: Jackie Robinson and scored a run in the Dodgers' 5–3 victory. Robinson became the first player since 1880 to openly break the major league baseball color line. Black fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspapers and white major league players. However, racial tension existed in the Dodger clubhouse. Some Dodger players insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. The brewing mutiny ended when Dodgers management took a stand for Robinson. Manager Leo Durocher informed the team, "I do

neg: Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers. During his career, the Dodgers played in six World Series, and Robinson himself played in six All-Star Games. In 1999, he was posthumously named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Robinson's career is generally considered to mark the beginning of the post–"long ball" era in baseball, in which a reliance on raw power-hitting gave way to balanced offensive strategies that used footspeed to create runs through aggressive baserunning. Robinson exhibited the combination of hitting ability and speed which exemplified the new era. He scored more than 100 runs in six of his ten seasons (averaging more than

neg: Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush Dodgers: Carl Erskine, Duke Snider, Johnny Podres, Clem Labine, Ralph Branca, Buzzie Bavasi (General Manager), Peter O'Malley (former president and son of Walter O'Malley), Joan Hodges (widow of Gil Hodges), Rachel Robinson (widow of Jackie Robinson). Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush is a 2007 documentary film produced by HBO Sports chronicling the last ten years of the Brooklyn Dodgers' tenure in the borough of churches. The film documents how in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the baseball racial barrier in previously segregated major league, the struggles to win what seemed an unreachable World Series title in

neg: Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting retired African-American bellhop reminiscing about a meeting he witnessed in 1947, when he was 17 years old. The play then flashes back to that earlier time. The majority of the action is set in a New York City hotel room, in the spring of 1947, and the action spans a couple of hours. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, has called a meeting with four prominent African-Americans to discuss breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. The invitees were Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Paul Robeson, and Bill Robinson. The play's characters, except for the bellhop, are all

neg: Jackie Robinson result, including the five-star Chase Park Hotel in St. Louis. In 1954, Robinson had 62 runs scored, a .311 batting average, and 7 steals. His best day at the plate was on June 17, when he hit two home runs and two doubles. The following autumn, Robinson won his only championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series. Although the team enjoyed ultimate success, 1955 was the worst year of Robinson's individual career. He hit .256 and stole only 12 bases. The Dodgers tried Robinson in the outfield and as a third baseman, both

neg: Jackie Robinson (basketball, born 1955) Jackie Robinson (basketball, born 1955) Jackie Robinson (born May 20, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'6" forward from UNLV, Robinson played in the NBA from 1978 to 1982 as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons, and Chicago Bulls. He averaged 3.8 points per game in his NBA career and won an NBA Championship with Seattle in 1979. Afterwards Robinson played five years in Europe, and upon retirement held executive positions in several Las Vegas companies that worked in retail, real estate, construction, credit, and the food and beverage industries. He was a one-time owner

neg: Wid Matthews when he joined the St. Louis Cardinals, the pioneers of the MLB farm system. Seven years later, he moved with Redbird GM Branch Rickey to the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he served as the Dodgers' director of Midwest scouting through the 1949 season. As Brooklyn's top scout in the Midwest, Matthews was one of multiple Dodger evaluators who followed Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues in 1945. His glowing assessment of Robinson's ability to "protect the strike zone" was key to Rickey's decision to target Robinson as the first African-American to break the baseball color line

neg: Jackie Robinson interest in the prospect of playing or managing professional baseball. Robinson ended his major league career when he struck out to end Game 7 of the 1956 World Series. After the season, Robinson was traded by the Dodgers to the arch-rival New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $35,000 cash (equal to $ today). The trade, however, was never completed; unbeknownst to the Dodgers, Robinson had already agreed with the president of Chock full o'Nuts to quit baseball and become an executive with the company. Since Robinson had sold exclusive rights to any retirement story to "Look" magazine two years

neg: 1947 Cleveland Indians season Second baseman, starter Jim Hegan, Catcher, reserve 1947 Cleveland Indians season The Cleveland Indians season was the 47th in franchise history. On July 5, Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier. Doby was signed by the Indians by owner and team president Bill Veeck in July, 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson appeared with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League. In his rookie season, Doby hit 5-for-32 in 29 games. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note:

neg: Davey Williams in 2323 chances). Williams's playing career was cut short when he was never able to fully recover after injuring his back in a collision with Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, as Williams covered first base on Robinson bunt. Robinson later said that his intended target on the play had actually been Giant pitcher Sal Maglie. Maglie had angered the Dodgers by throwing several pitches high and inside on Dodger hitters, so Robinson had bunted specifically looking for the opportunity to crash into Maglie on the play. However, Maglie didn't cover first base as Robinson had expected, so instead, it

neg: Bobby Bragan Robinson. Bragan — the Dodgers' second-string catcher at the time — was one of a group of white players, largely from the American South, who signed a petition against Robinson's presence. He even asked Rickey to trade him. But Bragan quickly relented. "After just one road trip, I saw the quality of Jackie the man and the player", Bragan told mlb.com in 2005. "I told Mr. Rickey I had changed my mind and I was honored to be a teammate of Jackie Robinson." When Bragan attended Rickey's funeral in 1965, he stated that he decided to attend because, "Branch Rickey

neg: Jersey City Giants when Jackie Robinson of the Montreal Royals made his organized baseball debut there as a visitor on April 18, 1946. Robinson made a spectacular playing debut with four hits in five at-bats, including a home run in a game that ended with a 14-1 win for the Royals. A decade later, in 1956–1957, Roosevelt Stadium would host select Dodger home games as owner Walter O'Malley parried with public officials over a new stadium in Brooklyn. The Dodgers (and the MLB Giants) ultimately abandoned New York for California in 1958. Although they won league titles in 1939 and 1947, the Jersey

neg: John Branca danced on "The Ed Sullivan Show". She moved to Los Angeles when Branca was four to pursue her show business career. Branca lived with his father, also named John, who later served as the New York State Athletic Commissioner. (His uncle, Ralph Branca, pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers for many years, including the 1947 World Series. He is portrayed in the Jackie Robinson biopic "42" as one of Robinson's earliest supporters.) At age 11, Branca moved to LA, and at 13, started a rock band, "The Other Half", for which he played guitar. Three years later, he played with a

neg: Jackie Robinson was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. In 1997, MLB retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", for the first time on April 15, 2004,

neg: Migdalia Pérez in Havana, Cuba, as part of a plan to create an International League of Girls Baseball. All the eight AAGPBL teams played exhibition games at Estadio Latinoamericano. On the other hand, the Brooklyn Dodgers trained in the Cuban capital because Jackie Robinson, who would be the first Afro-American to play in the Major Leagues, was training with the Dodgers for the first time. By then, city ordinances in Vero Beach, Florida, where the Dodgers normally trained, prevented blacks and whites players from competing on the same field against each other. Notably, newspaper stories from Havana indicate that the All-American girls

neg: Jackie Robinson October 23, it was publicly announced that Robinson would be assigned to the Royals for the 1946 season. On the same day, with representatives of the Royals and Dodgers present, Robinson formally signed his contract with the Royals. In what was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s. He was not necessarily the best player in the Negro leagues, and black talents Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were upset when Robinson was selected first. Larry Doby, who broke the color line in the American League the

neg: Jackie Robinson Day Jackie Robinson Day Jackie Robinson Day is a traditional event which occurs annually in Major League Baseball, commemorating and honoring the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut. April 15 was Opening Day in 1947, Robinson's first season in the Major Leagues. Initiated for the first time on April 15, 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated each year on that day. The festivity is a result of Robinson's memorable career, best known for becoming the first black major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947. His debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers (today known as the Los Angeles

neg: Spider Jorgensen Spider Jorgensen John Donald Jorgensen (November 3, 1919 – November 6, 2003) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1947 through 1951 for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–50) and New York Giants (1950–51). Jorgensen batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Folsom, California. Jorgensen graduated from Folsom High School in 1936 and attended Sacramento City College from 1937 to 1938. In the 1950s, he played in the Pacific Coast League for the Oakland Oaks. He debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, the same day that teammate Jackie Robinson broke the professional baseball

neg: Big Eight Conference decades. (During this time all of the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. were also segregated.) The modern era of full integration of league sports began at Kansas State, with Harold Robinson. In 1949, Harold Robinson played football for Kansas State with an athletic scholarship. In doing so, Robinson broke the modern "color barrier" in conference athletics, and also became the first ever African-American athlete on scholarship in the conference. Harold Robinson later received a letter of congratulations from Jackie Robinson, who had reintegrated major league baseball in 1947 while playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the spring of

neg: Brooklyn Dodgers (Continental Football League) ACFL from 1962 to 1964. After a disastrous 3-11 season played before tiny crowds, the franchise was shifted to Brooklyn and renamed after the famous baseball team. (There was precedent for this: there was a Brooklyn Dodgers team in the NFL from 1930–43 and another club of that name in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946–48; still, the Los Angeles Dodgers were not amused, suing the new Dodgers for copyright infringement for using their former name.) Although a completely different organization from the baseball Dodgers, the football Dodgers did hire hardball legend Jackie Robinson as their general manager, featuring

neg: Sports in Brooklyn and the Robins, the last an informal name taken from their manager, Wilbert Robinson. The team name is short for "trolley dodgers", a reference to the many streetcar lines that once criss-crossed the borough. Perennial losers, the Dodgers were called "bums" by their fans, first with derision, eventually with affection. The Dodgers greatest achievement came in 1947 when Jackie Robinson took the field in a Dodgers uniform, the first Major League African American player of the modern era. The Brooklyn Dodgers won National League pennants in 1890, 1899, 1900, 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953, but lost the

neg: John L. Smith (pharmaceutical executive) an investor in the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball in 1944, and the following year he became a one-quarter owner of the franchise, an equal partner along with Dearie Mulvey (with her husband, James), Walter O'Malley and Branch Rickey. Under the quartet, the Dodgers won two National League pennants (; ), and made history by breaking the six-decade-old baseball color line with the 1947 debut of Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. But O'Malley and Rickey clashed over control of the Dodgers and developed a deep animosity; over time, Smith became more sympathetic with the O'Malley position. In February

neg: Los Angeles Dodgers 2007 season, Jackie Robinson Day (April 15, commemorating Opening Day of Robinson's rookie season of 1947) has featured many or all players and coaches wearing the number 42 as a tribute to Robinson. The Dodgers have not issued the number 34 since the departure of Fernando Valenzuela in 1991, although it has not been officially retired. Since 1884, the Dodgers have used a total of 31 Managers, the most current being Dave Roberts, who was appointed following the 2015 postseason, after the departure of Don Mattingly. Over the nearly 43 years from 1954 to mid-1996, the Dodgers employed only two

neg: 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers season base after the emergence of Roy Campanella. Jackie Robinson started the season at second base—Eddie Stanky had been traded just before the start of the season to make room for Robinson at his natural position; he had played first base during his 1947 rookie season. Pee Wee Reese was the only "Boys of summer" regular to already be ensconced at his position, shortstop. Billy Cox had been acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates during the offseason, but as one of nine players who would see time at third for the team that year, he only played 70 games at the position.

neg: Buzzie Bavasi position of President of the Nashua Dodgers to ensure the newspaper's support for the integration project; Dobens's newspaper did not release any word of the signings until April. Bavasi also publicly linked the team to Clyde Sukeforth, who had scouted Campanella, Newcombe, and Jackie Robinson for Rickey and who had played minor-league baseball in Nashua in the mid-1920s. He promoted the team's French Canadian connection through his team's Quebec-born players, and even attempted to hire Frenchy Bordagaray to manage the team (eventually he settled on Walter Alston). The 1946 season was a successful one. The Nashua Dodgers placed second in

neg: Randy Jackson (baseball) the bench, in a 6–5 win for the National League, behind the Milwaukee Braves' Eddie Mathews. On the strength of Jackson's five continuous seasons in Chicago, the Dodgers, looking for a replacement for their aging All-Star third baseman Jackie Robinson, traded Don Hoak, Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn to the Cubs for Jackson and Don Elston. Jackson played off the bench behind Robinson in 1956. Despite having over 200 fewer plate appearances than in his previous year, he managed a .274 average with 8 home runs and 53 RBI. The Dodgers played in the famed "subway Series" against their hated

neg: History of the Brooklyn Dodgers declined. Ultimately, City Island Ballpark in Daytona Beach agreed to host the game with Robinson on the field. The team traveled to Havana, Cuba for spring training in 1947, this time with Robinson on the big club. Although the Dodgers ultimately built Dodgertown and its Holman Stadium further south in Vero Beach, and played there for 61 spring training seasons from 1948 through 2008, Daytona Beach renamed City Island Ballpark to Jackie Robinson Ballpark in his honor. This event marked the continuation of the integration of professional sports in the United States, with professional football having led the way in

neg: Majestic Park 1920, Ruth went on to total 714 Home Runs, a record that stood until broken by Hank Aaron. On October 22, 1953, Jackie Robinson played in an exhibition game at Jaycee Park. Having broken Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, Robinson and the some other Major League players (including his Dodgers teammate Gil Hodges) toured, calling themselves Jackie Robinson's All-Stars. Robinson's squad played the Negro American League All-Stars that day, losing 14-9. Today, there is a plaque at the site as part of the "Hot Springs Baseball Historic Trail" honoring the event. In 1952, as referenced in a plaque

neg: Jackie Robinson Doby, who endured his own hardships since becoming the first black player in the American League with the Cleveland Indians, as the two spoke to one another via telephone throughout the season. Robinson finished the season having played in 151 games for the Dodgers, with a batting average of .297, an on-base percentage of .383, and a .427 slugging percentage. He had 175 hits (scoring 125 runs) including 31 doubles, 5 triples, and 12 home runs, driving in 48 runs for the year. Robinson led the league in sacrifice hits, with 28, and in stolen bases, with 29. His cumulative

neg: Sports in Brooklyn in Brooklyn and folded after only seven games. In 1946, the new All-America Football Conference had yet another Brooklyn Dodgers team. This club lasted until 1948, after which it merged with the New York Yankees football team. The renamed Brooklyn-New York Yankees folded after one season when the AAFC merged with the NFL. Finally, there was an independent minor league team called the Brooklyn Dodgers in the short-lived Continental Football League in 1966. Like the AFL Brooklyn Tigers team, they never played in Brooklyn, but were called so because baseball Dodger legend Jackie Robinson was the general manager of the

neg: History of the Philadelphia Phillies his team after winning a pennant with an all-white team. The Phillies were the last National League team to sign a black player, a full 10 years after Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Their competitive futility was highlighted by a record that still stands: in 1961, the Phillies lost 23 games in a row, the worst losing streak in the majors since 1900. In 1947, when Robinson was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Phillies general manager Herb Pennock called Dodgers team president Branch Rickey and told him not to "bring that nigger here with the rest

neg: Roy Campanella the following year, and Campanella became a star player with the team. In 1942 and 1943, Campanella played in the Mexican League with the Monterrey Sultans. Lázaro Salazar, the team's manager, told Campanella that one day he would play at the major league level. Campanella moved into the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league system in as the Dodger organization began preparations to break the MLB color barrier with Jackie Robinson. For the 1946 season, Robinson was assigned to the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' affiliate in the Class AAA International League. On March 18, 1946, Campanella signed a contract to play for

neg: History of the Brooklyn Dodgers first major-league baseball game to be televised was Brooklyn's 6–1 victory over Cincinnati at Ebbets Field on August 26, 1939. Batting helmets were introduced to Major League Baseball by the Dodgers in 1941. For most of the first half of the 20th century, no Major League Baseball team employed a black player. A parallel system of Negro Leagues developed, but most of the Negro League players were denied a chance to prove their skill before a national audience. Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play Major League baseball in the 20th Century when he played his first major league

neg: Nashua Dodgers of the International League, Newcombe remained in Nashua. The club again placed second, but won the Governor's Cup for the second year in a row. Although Newcombe was promoted, the Nashua Dodgers remained integrated in 1948 with the addition of Dan Bankhead, who had been a pitcher with Brooklyn. Nashua was managed by Al Campanis, who was a teammate of Jackie Robinson in Montreal in 1946. The Dodgers again placed second, but won the Governors' Cup. In 1949, as major-leaguers Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a pennant, the Nashua Dodgers again seemed ready to compete

neg: Brooklyn average, first triple play, first pro baseball player, first enclosed ballpark, first scorecard, first known African-American team, first black championship game, first road trip, first gambling scandal, and first eight pennant winners were all in or from Brooklyn. Brooklyn's most famous historical team, the Brooklyn Dodgers, named for "trolley dodgers" played at Ebbets Field. In 1947 Jackie Robinson was hired by the Dodgers as the first African-American player in Major League Baseball in the modern era. In 1955, the Dodgers, perennial National League pennant winners, won the only World Series for Brooklyn against their rival New York Yankees. The event

neg: Hank Thompson (baseball) hard-hitting star for the Monarchs in the Negro American League, playing both infield and outfield. At 17, he played right field in his first season, batting .300. The following year he was drafted into the Army. Thompson was a machine gunner with the 1695th Combat Engineers at the historic Battle of the Bulge. Sergeant Thompson was discharged on June 20, 1946, and immediately returned to the Monarchs, who were in the midst of capturing the league title. With the start of the major league 1947 season, history was made when Jackie Robinson broke the color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

neg: 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers season 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers season The 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers rebounded from the heartbreaking ending of 1951 to win the National League pennant by four games over the New York Giants. However, they dropped the World Series in seven games to the New York Yankees. Led by Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, and Duke Snider, the high-powered Brooklyn offense scored the most runs in the majors. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats;

neg: Professional sports on the strength of his home runs (balls that cannot be played because they have been hit out of the field). One of the most noteworthy players was the Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson, who became the first African-American player in the major leagues in 1947. Prior to Robinson, black players had been restricted to the Negro Leagues. Starting in the 1950s, major league baseball expanded its geographical range. Western cities got teams, either by luring them to move from eastern cities or by forming expansion teams with players made available by established teams. Until the 1970s, because of strict contracts,

neg: Don Larsen's perfect game Dodgers came to a hit was in the second inning, when Jackie Robinson hit a line drive off third baseman Andy Carey's glove, the ball caroming to shortstop Gil McDougald, who threw Robinson out by a step, and in the fifth, when Mickey Mantle ran down Gil Hodges' deep fly ball. Brooklyn's Maglie gave up only two runs on five hits and was perfect himself until Mantle's fourth-inning home run broke the scoreless tie. The Yankees added an insurance run in the sixth as Hank Bauer's single scored Carey, who had opened the inning with a single and was sacrificed

neg: Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Daytona Tortugas were founded in 1993. They have won six Florida State League championships, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2013. The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats have also achieved recent success, including six consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball championships from 1999–2004, and seven more in 2006–2012. One reason the stadium is named for Jackie Robinson is the fact that Daytona Beach was the first Florida city to allow Robinson to play during the 1946 season's spring training. Robinson was playing for the Triple-A Montreal Royals, who were in Florida to play an exhibition game against their parent club, the Brooklyn Dodgers.

neg: Commissioner of Baseball I had his records, and I read them, and for twenty-four years Landis consistently blocked any attempts to put blacks and whites together on a big league field." Bill Veeck claimed Landis prevented him from purchasing the Phillies when Landis learned of Veeck's plan to integrate the team. The signing of the first black ballplayer in the modern era, Jackie Robinson, came less than a year after Landis's death on Chandler's watch and was engineered by one of Landis's old nemeses, Branch Rickey. Eleven weeks after Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Veeck became the first American League owner to

neg: History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1875–1919) right." However, the cancelation of the game with the Cuban Giants was merely symptomatic of a larger trend around the sport. That season, Cap Anson of the Chicago White Stockings publicly threatened not to play any 'white' professional teams who hired black players just months after the International League prohibited further signing of black players. Ironically, it would be by an act sixty years later by then-former Cardinals executive in Branch Rickey that broke the color barrier in MLB when he débuted Jackie Robinson in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Due to their AA pennant wins, the Browns played in

neg: American Series then occasionally until 1953. The final American Series games before the Cuban League disbanded were played from March 20 to 21, 1959, when the Los Angeles Dodgers, featuring Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, faced the Cincinnati Reds in spring training games played in Havana. After a 40-year hiatus, a Major League Baseball team returned to Cuba in 1999, when the Baltimore Orioles played a two-game series (one game in Havana, the other in Baltimore) against the Cuban national baseball team. Many well-known names played in American Series, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Josh Gibson, Sam Crawford, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams

neg: Jarry Park Stadium time a team was located outside of the United States. Montreal, Quebec, Canada's largest city, had a strong tradition with minor league baseball, as the Montreal Royals were a long time Dodgers farm team. Jackie Robinson had played for the Royals in 1946, before his promotion to the Dodgers in 1947, breaking the color barrier. Icon Roberto Clemente was another Montreal Royal player, as were Dodgers legends Duke Snider, Don Drysdale, Roy Campanella and Tommy Lasorda. At the time the major league expansion announcement was made, Montreal had just hosted the 1967 World's Fair, called Expo '67, opened a new

neg: Duke Snider became a friend of Jackie Robinson before he was sent to the St. Paul team in early July. Snider returned to the Dodgers at the end of the season in time for the World Series against the New York Yankees. Snider (after spring training with the Dodgers) started the 1948 season with Montreal, and after hitting well in that league with a .327 batting average, he was called up to Brooklyn in August and played in 53 games. In 1949, Snider became a regular major leaguer hitting 23 home runs with 92 runs batted in, helping the Dodgers into the

neg: Jackie Robinson Day Ken Griffey, Jr. called Bud Selig to ask for permission to wear number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day. Griffey received special permission from Rachel Robinson to wear number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day of 2007. Number 42 had been retired for all Major League Baseball teams. This meant that no future Major League Baseball player could wear it. The number was retired in a ceremony which took place in 1997 at Shea Stadium to mark the 50th anniversary of Robinson's first game with the Dodgers. (The last player to wear the Number 42 is Mariano Rivera of the New York

neg: Mickey Livingston Mickey Livingston Thompson Orville Livingston (November 15, 1914 – April 3, 1983) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1938 and 1951 for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Brooklyn Dodgers. Livingston was the starting catcher for the Cubs in the 1945 World Series. He had eight hits in 22 at-bats (.364). He was a teammate of Jackie Robinson on the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers. He played for the last time on September 20 and did not appear in the tie-breaker postseason game on Oct.

neg: Punchball girls played "slapball". Baseball Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Yogi Berra played it growing up, as did sports team owner Jerry Reinsdorf, educator Frank Marascio, Senator Bernie Sanders, and former US Secretary of State and general Colin Powell. Major league outfielder Rocky Colavito, when asked if he played punchball, answered "Play it? Man, that was my game. I liked to play that more than anything else ... anything. We used to play for money, too." It was also a pastime of football announcer Al Michaels, who often played with former Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman. A 2010

neg: Howie Haak scouted Jackie Robinson while he played in the Negro Leagues. Robinson ultimately broke the baseball color line and went on to the Hall of Fame. Haak followed Rickey to the Pirates at the close of the 1950 season. Four years later, after scouting the Triple-A International League, he recommended the drafting of Clemente (ironically, from Brooklyn), who had been "hidden" on the Montreal Royals roster during the season. The highly talented, 19-year-old Clemente was only given 148 at bats with Montreal because the Dodgers did not have room for him on their MLB roster and didn't want to expose him

neg: The Chase Park Plaza Hotel Park Plaza stayed open. The Chase Park Plaza is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program. The hotel joined the Sonesta hotels chain on May 18, 2017. Jackie Robinson was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. In 1953, Robinson openly criticized segregated hotels and restaurants that served the Dodger organization. A number of these establishments integrated as

neg: The Jackie Robinson Story his college sweetheart, Rae. Then one day, Brooklyn Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth invites him to meet Branch Rickey, president of the Major League Baseball team. At first, Robinson considers the offer to be a practical joke, as African Americans are not allowed to play in the segregated major leagues. When he is convinced that the opportunity is genuine, he and Rickey size each other up. After thinking over Rickey's warning about the hatred and abuse he would have to endure "without" being able to strike back, Robinson signs with the Dodgers' International League farm team, the Montreal Royals. Though he

neg: History of baseball in the United States settled on Jackie Robinson, a shortstop with the Kansas City Monarchs. Although probably not the best player in the Negro Leagues at the time, Robinson was an exceptional talent, was college-educated, and had the marketable distinction of serving as an officer during World War II. More importantly, Robinson possessed the inner strength to handle the inevitable abuse to come. To prepare him for the task, Robinson first played in 1946 for the Dodgers' minor league team, the Montreal Royals, which proved an arduous emotional challenge, but he also enjoyed fervently enthusiastic support from the Montreal fans. On April 15, 1947,

neg: Kirby Higbe appearance (where he gave up a home run to Ted Williams), but the Dodgers lost the National League pennant to the eventual world champion St. Louis Cardinals. Higbe stayed in Brooklyn until just after the start of the 1947 campaign, when he was traded with four other players (one of whom was future Major League manager Gene Mauch) to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Al Gionfriddo. Higbe began the 1947 season with a 2–0 record for the eventual NL champion Dodgers, but he insisted upon being traded when the Dodgers added Jackie Robinson to the team as the first

neg: Jackie Robinson Robinson with large quotations spanning the inner curve of the facade and features a large freestanding statue of his number, 42, which has become an attraction in itself. Mets owner Fred Wilpon announced that the Mets—in conjunction with Citigroup and the Jackie Robinson Foundation—will create a Jackie Robinson Museum and Learning Center, located at the headquarters of the Jackie Robinson Foundation at One Hudson Square, along Canal Street in lower Manhattan. Along with the museum, scholarships will be awarded to "young people who live by and embody Jackie's ideals." The museum hopes to open by 2019. At Dodger Stadium in

neg: 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers season Ralph Branca Pee Wee Reese Jackie Robinson Preacher Roe 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers season Leo Durocher returned as manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers to start the 1948 season but was fired in mid-season. He was replaced first by team coach Ray Blades and then by Burt Shotton, who had managed the team to the 1947 pennant. The Dodgers finished third in the National League after this tumultuous season. The 1948 Dodgers were very much a work in progress, beginning to coalesce into the classic "Boys of Summer" teams of the 1950s. Gil Hodges was in the opening day lineup, but as

neg: American Series games to two. The Washington Senators opened their spring training in Havana. They swept all five games that they played against a Cuban all-star team. They also played a series against the Boston Red Sox in Havana. In October, a National League "all-star" team managed by Chuck Dressen played against a Cuban all-star team. The major league team won the series 5–4. In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers were preparing to promote Jackie Robinson and integrate the major leagues. Brooklyn team president, Branch Rickey, decided to hold their spring training to avoid southern segregation. In Havana, the Dodgers played series against

neg: History of baseball The inaugural College World Series was held in 1947, and the Babe Ruth League youth program was founded. This program soon became another important organizing body for children's baseball. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred the previous year: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers—where Branch Rickey had become general manager—and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal. In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with the Dodgers; Larry Doby debuted with the American League's Cleveland Indians later the same year. Latin

neg: Chris Taylor (baseball) of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also had a double, a triple, drove in six runs, and fell just short of hitting for the cycle. He was the third Dodgers player in history to have his first career homer be a grand slam (Preston Ward in 1948 and Chico Fernández in 1956) and the third Dodgers second baseman to have at least six RBIs in a game (Billy Herman in 1943 and Jackie Robinson in 1949). He played in 34 games for the Dodgers in 2016, hitting .207/.258/362 with one home run and 7 RBIs, primarily playing shortstop. Taylor did not

neg: 1947 Boston Braves season 1947 Boston Braves season The 1947 Boston Braves season was the 77th season of the franchise. On April 15, the Braves played against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Jackie Robinson's first game. Johnny Sain threw the first pitch against Robinson. Behind 3–2, Robinson scored the game-winning run against the Braves. The final score was 5–3 for Brooklyn. Bob Elliott became the first third baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP Award. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI =

neg: 1887 St. Louis Browns season 60 years later by then-former Cardinals executive in Branch Rickey that broke the color barrier in MLB when he débuted Jackie Robinson in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" "Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run

neg: A Lesson Before Dying from chapter 12 when the book mentions Jackie Robinson. The quote "All three stood talking baseball. Jackie Robinson had just finished his second year with the Brooklyn Dodgers," tells us all that we need to know to date this book. The book takes place in early October of 1948. "All there was to see were old white weather-houses, with smoke rising out of the chimneys and drifting across the corrugated tin roofs overlooking the yard toward the field, where some of the cane had been cut. The cane had not been hauled to the derrick yet, and it was lying

neg: 1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Roy Campanella and pitcher Don Newcombe also played for the NL. Cleveland Indians' outfielder Larry Doby played the final four innings of the game for the AL. The Dodgers hosted the game and were well-represented. Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson were starting infielders for the NL. Ralph Branca, Don Newcombe, and Preacher Roe were on the pitching staff, while Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges were reserve position players. All of the Dodgers' representatives, with the exception of Branca, played in the game. Players in "italics" have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The umpires changed

neg: Los Angeles Dodgers to the Dodgers, named after the Brooklyn pedestrians who dodged the streetcars in the city. In 1941, the Dodgers captured their third National League pennant, only to lose to the New York Yankees. This marked the onset of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry, as the Dodgers would face them in their next six World Series appearances. Led by Jackie Robinson, the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era; and three-time National League Most Valuable Player Roy Campanella, also signed out of the Negro Leagues, the Dodgers captured their first World Series title in 1955 by defeating the Yankees for

neg: 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season On April 15, Jackie Robinson was the opening day first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black player in Major League Baseball. Robinson went on to bat .297, score 125 runs, steal 29 bases and be named the very first African-American Rookie of the Year. The Dodgers won the National League title and went on to lose to the New York Yankees in the 1947 World Series. This season was dramatized in the movie "42". Due to the suspension of Leo Durocher for a year for "conduct detrimental to baseball", coach Clyde Sukeforth managed

neg: Jackie Robinson to his improved batting average, Robinson stole 37 bases that season, was second place in the league for both doubles and triples, and registered 124 runs batted in with 122 runs scored. For the performance Robinson earned the Most Valuable Player Award for the National League. Baseball fans also voted Robinson as the starting second baseman for the 1949 All-Star Game—the first All-Star Game to include black players. That year, a song about Robinson by Buddy Johnson, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?", reached number 13 on the charts; Count Basie recorded a famous version. Ultimately, the Dodgers

neg: Jackie Robinson black players besides Robinson. In February 1948, he signed a $12,500 contract (equal to $ today) with the Dodgers; while a significant amount, this was less than Robinson made in the off-season from a vaudeville tour, where he answered pre-set baseball questions, and a speaking tour of the South. Between the tours, he underwent surgery on his right ankle. Because of his off-season activities, Robinson reported to training camp overweight. He lost the weight during training camp, but dieting left him weak at the plate. In 1948, Wendell Smith's book, "Jackie Robinson: My Own Story", was released. In the spring

neg: Jackie Robinson regular-season heroics, the Dodgers lost the pennant on Bobby Thomson's famous home run, known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World, on October 3, 1951. Overcoming his dejection, Robinson dutifully observed Thomson's feet to ensure he touched all the bases. Dodgers sportscaster Vin Scully later noted that the incident showed "how much of a competitor Robinson was." He finished the season with 106 runs scored, a batting average of .335, and 25 stolen bases. Robinson had what was an average year for him in 1952. He finished the year with 104 runs, a .308 batting average, and 24 stolen bases.

neg: 42 (film) sportswriter Wendell Smith suggests that Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey consider Robinson as the black ballplayer Rickey is looking for, Robinson and his team, the Kansas City Monarchs, stop by a gas station. When the attendant refuses Robinson entry to the washroom, Robinson says they will find another station at which to fill up the team bus, and the attendant relents. As Robinson steps out, a scout for the Dodgers sent by Rickey approaches him and invites him to Brooklyn. He is offered a $600 per month contract and a $3,500 signing bonus, which Robinson accepts after being warned by

neg: Alan Wiggins he was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and their base-stealing shortstop, Maury Wills. Wiggins graduated from John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, which was also the alma mater of Dodgers star Jackie Robinson. Gib Bodet, a scout for the Montreal Expos, noticed Wiggins in high school. Wiggins was tall, which was taller than a typical infielder. He was only an average hitter and fielder, but his speed stood out to Bodet. The California Angels selected Wiggins as the eighth overall pick of the January 1977 MLB amateur draft. In 1977 Wiggins played junior college baseball at Pasadena

neg: DHL Hometown Heroes Houston suburb of Alvin, Texas. Cal Ripken Jr., chosen by Baltimore Orioles fans, was born in Havre de Grace and grew up in Aberdeen, towns in Harford County, Maryland within 45 minutes' drive of Baltimore. Pete Rose, chosen by Cincinnati Reds fans, was born and raised in Cincinnati. (Note that although Jackie Robinson, selected by Los Angeles Dodgers fans, grew up in Pasadena, California, he never played for the franchise in Los Angeles. His entire MLB career was with the Brooklyn Dodgers.) DHL Hometown Heroes DHL Hometown Heroes was a 2006 promotional event, sponsored by shipping company DHL, where Major