Opening Day
Page 39
New York, N.Y., 21–23, 43, 114, 142, 154
baseball broadcasts initially absent in, 114
newspapers of, 197–98
race in hailing cabs in, 53–54, 66
see also Brooklyn, N.Y.; Harlem, N.Y.
New York Age, 269
New York Black Yankees, 153
New York Cubans, 175, 193, 228
New York Daily Mirror, 22, 60
New York Giants, 25, 76, 84, 85, 87, 189, 194, 202, 236, 268, 271
Dodgers vs., 62, 63, 66, 68–69, 80–81, 82, 153, 224
New York Post, 39, 49, 57, 73, 97, 106, 128, 170, 186, 208, 230, 232, 237
New York State Organizing Committee for United Negro and Allied Veterans of America, 64–65
New York Sun, 38–39, 61, 86
New York Times, 59–60, 68, 183, 186, 239–40, 257
New York Yankees, 35–36, 39, 40, 41, 47, 76, 80, 99, 136, 185, 206–7, 232, 234, 235, 268
attendance for, 186, 208, 238, 244, 246
Dodgers compared with, 235–38
in 1941 World Series, 237, 248–49
in 1947 season, 101, 102, 188, 195, 202, 203–5, 207–9
in 1947 World Series, 5, 238–61
in 1955 World Series, 269
race baiting by, 254
as slow to integrate, 205–6
Nixon, Richard, 272, 274
Northey, Ron, 196, 221
Norton, Pete, 185
O’Dwyer, William, 59, 240
O’Malley, Walter, 90, 269
Ostermueller, Fritz, 140, 166–67, 227
Owen, Mickey, 248–49
Owens, Jesse, 10, 81
Page, Joe, 207–8, 209, 237, 244, 255, 259–61
Paige, Leroy “Satchel,” 12, 18, 101, 136, 175, 181, 267
Papini, Giovanni, 4
Parker, Dan, 22, 97, 153
Parker, Robert B., 55–56
Parks, Rosa, 15, 64, 270
Parrott, Harold, 100, 103, 172, 223
Partlow, Roy, 36–37
Pasadena, Calif., 8–10, 11, 12, 15, 61
“Passing” (Hughes), 66
Pellagrini, Eddie, 208
Pennock, Herb, 99–100, 106
People’s Voice, 37, 59, 64, 135
Pesky, Johnny, 102
Philadelphia Athletics, 186, 187, 246
Philadelphia Phillies, 42, 105, 106, 175, 181, 182
bench jockeying and race baiting by, 73–77, 82, 97, 100, 105, 254
boycott threat by, 99–100, 101
Philadelphia Stars, 136
Pittsburgh, Pa., 123, 124
Pittsburgh Courier, 53, 59, 77, 103, 105, 131, 133–34, 137, 184–85, 192, 264
Pittsburgh Pirates, 46, 76, 134, 138–40, 166–67, 175, 185, 266, 267, 269, 270–71, 274
Dodgers vs., 139, 140, 159, 162, 166–67, 224, 227
Dodger trades with, 89–90, 91, 160, 197, 237, 243, 250, 265, 269
Poitier, Sidney, 153–54
Pollet, Howie, 195, 219
Polo Grounds, 62, 63, 66, 153, 228–29
attendance at, 67–68, 69, 153, 228
Povich, Shirley, 187
Powell, Adam Clayton, 64, 134
Powell, Colin, 87
Powers, Jimmy, 22, 25, 198–99, 231
professional football, 33–34
Quinn-Ives Act, 22, 240
racial discrimination, 1–2, 12, 17–18, 22–23, 73, 74, 108–9, 111, 120–21, 171, 201, 268, 275
in baseball, 22, 29, 41–46, 47, 73–77, 92–96, 97, 99–101, 105, 137–38, 169, 176, 179
in hailing of cabs, 53–54, 66
in hiring, 22–23, 156, 171
in housing, 65–66
in JR’s spring training and road trips, 17, 30–33, 36–37, 102–3, 126, 137, 144–45, 168–69
oppression and, 1–2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 30–32, 34, 64, 65, 86–87, 120–21, 124–25, 131–32, 134, 155–56
see also segregation
Rackley, Marv, 125
Rampersad, Arnold, 109
Randolph, Philip, 134
Rapoport, Ron, 273–74
Raschi, Vic, 248
Reardon, Beans, 195–96, 228
Reese, Mark, 129
Reese, Pee Wee, 35, 37, 40, 42, 55, 70, 75, 96, 130, 144, 160, 165, 166, 172, 196, 213, 217, 224, 237, 253, 261, 265
embrace of JR by, 127–29
in 1947 World Series, 243, 247, 250, 254, 255, 260
Reid, Dick, 218
Reiser, Pete, 40, 57, 58, 59, 70, 75, 96, 111, 119, 130, 145, 196, 213, 223, 224, 225, 265
collisions and injuries of, 159–60, 164, 201, 212, 225, 245, 247, 250, 254
in 1947 World Series, 241, 242, 244–45, 247, 248, 250, 251, 254
Renfroe, Othello, 17
Rennie, Rud, 236
Reynolds, Allie “The Chief,” 209, 237, 244, 255
Rice, Del, 195
Richmond Afro-American, 59
Rickey, Branch, 23–28, 33, 35, 36, 37–38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 65, 73, 86, 90–91, 122, 128, 130, 135, 154, 163, 164, 166, 167, 169, 194, 199, 204, 217, 231, 268, 270, 272, 274, 275
Barber’s meeting with, 115–16, 117
black players scouted by, 20, 21, 23, 25–26, 137, 169–70, 176–78, 179–80, 187, 193, 225
boycott threats and, 44–45, 46, 89, 90, 99–100, 147
with Cardinals, 25, 92
death threat investigation and, 103, 104
hate mail received by, 108–9
image-building and sympathy garnered for JR by, 104, 106, 152
integration experiment of, 21, 22, 25–26, 30, 46, 47, 50, 63, 74, 84, 89–91, 92, 104, 116, 136–37, 138, 169–70, 179–80, 181, 196, 205–6, 225–26, 240, 273
JR’s first meeting with, 26–28, 179
JR signed by, 1, 3–4, 28, 47, 64, 115, 137, 180, 181, 182, 187, 206
JR’s pacifist promise to, 4, 27–28, 67, 74, 75, 104, 109, 123, 130, 152, 168, 171, 172, 254, 268, 272
love of money and frugality in, 24–25, 89, 90, 247, 263, 265
physical appearance of, 3, 24, 26
trading by, 25, 46, 85, 89–91, 106, 159, 160, 237, 243, 250, 265–66, 269
Rigney, Bill, 69
Rikard, Cully, 159
Rizzuto, Phil, 35–36, 102, 204, 208
in 1947 World Series, 241–42, 243, 247, 254–55, 259, 261
Robertson, Pete, 68
Robeson, Paul, 65, 95, 135, 268–69
Robinson, Aaron, 252
Robinson, Bill “Bojangles,” 153
Robinson, David, 272, 273
Robinson, Eddie, 184, 189
Robinson, Edward G., 141
Robinson, Jack, Jr., 48, 53–54, 60, 61, 69, 72, 84, 86, 130, 148, 150–51, 157, 162, 233, 234, 264
death of, 272, 273
Robinson, Jack Roosevelt “Jackie,” vii, 29, 78, 176, 186, 193, 194, 217, 219, 221, 238
as aggressive competitor, 11–12, 28, 86, 144, 146, 152–53, 164, 165–66, 168, 229, 253, 255, 268
anger and temper of, 9–10, 12, 14, 15–16, 17, 26, 28, 74, 109, 130, 137, 172, 178, 228, 268
autobiographies of, 14, 128, 201, 263, 273
base running of, 3, 5, 16, 69, 75, 81, 86, 96, 106, 111–12, 118, 122, 144, 145, 146, 147, 152, 165–66, 166–68, 170, 195–96, 213, 228, 230, 231, 237, 240–43, 247, 254–55, 269
black following of, 4–5, 49, 52–53, 54, 63, 66–68, 69, 80, 105, 106–7, 119, 121, 122, 126–27, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 153–54, 155, 156–57, 161, 163, 170, 175, 190–91, 192, 195, 214, 216, 219, 221, 228–29, 235, 243, 244
Brooklyn’s easy acceptance of, 156–58, 161, 223
bus incident of, 14–16, 26, 270
celebrations and honors for, 53, 230–31, 234, 263, 264, 273–74
celebrity of, 32, 34, 70, 104, 233, 263–65, 265
Chicago debut of, 141–44
childhood and adolescence of, 7–11, 15, 198
Cincinnati debut of, 125–30
in civil rights movement, 272
as crowd draw and star attraction, 4–5, 86, 1
40, 141, 145, 160–61, 231–32
death of, 274
death threats received by, 60, 103–4, 111, 201, 267
as emerging team leader, 253–54
enormous pressure on, 3, 49, 58, 61, 84, 86–87, 104, 107, 109–10, 118, 134, 149, 151, 162, 174, 234
errors committed by, 75, 173
failing health of, 273–74
fan mail received by, 106–8
fans influenced by, 5, 55–56, 77–78, 106–8, 118–19, 155–56, 215, 223–24
fans’ opening-day response to, 51–53, 55, 57, 58, 59–60, 61
as father, 61, 86, 109, 130, 149, 151, 235, 264, 270, 272
first majors at-bat of, 57–58
first majors home run of, 68–69
first season stats of, 224–25
heckling of, 49, 77, 105, 127–29, 161, 215–16, 267
HUAC testimony of, 268–69
as ideal “test case” for integration, 2–3, 26, 136–37, 176–77
income of, 3, 149, 231, 264, 265
injuries and ailments of, 3, 14, 37, 38, 47, 84, 86, 87, 137, 148, 170, 222–23, 269, 270
interviews given by, 60–61, 71–73, 77, 78, 201, 273–74
isolation from teammates felt by, 50, 54, 83, 85, 87, 98, 99, 109, 110, 145, 172–73
last season of, 269–71
left-wing groups connected to, 64–66
legacy and social impact of, 5, 34, 56, 155–57, 215, 271, 274–75
marriage of, 30, 48, 69–70, 82–84, 85–86, 109–10, 130, 148–53, 154, 155, 157, 235, 264, 270
media coverage of, 32, 34, 37, 38–39, 49, 59–60, 61, 65, 67, 76–77, 86, 96–97, 103–4, 106, 111, 128, 152, 162, 167, 170, 173–74, 194, 196, 200–202, 211, 220, 230, 235–36, 264, 269
military career of, 14–16, 26, 82, 109
in minor leagues, 3, 28, 30, 33–34, 36, 37, 46–47, 59, 61, 125, 149, 178, 185, 205, 240–41
in Negro leagues, 17–19, 20–21, 25, 37, 136, 137, 163, 187
in 1947 World Series, 239–43, 244–45, 247, 248, 250, 251, 252, 253–55, 258, 259, 260, 261–62, 273
1948 season of, 267–68
1949 season of, 268
non-baseball jobs held by, 11, 13, 16
off-season commitments of, 263–65
off-season weight added by, 265, 267
opposing players abusive to, 4, 49, 73–77, 82, 97, 104, 105, 146, 152, 166, 174, 222–24, 227–28, 229, 254, 267, 268
opposing players supportive of, 101, 139, 140, 163–64
pacifist approach demanded of, 4, 27–28, 67, 74, 75, 104, 109, 123, 130, 152, 168, 171, 172, 254, 268, 272
physical appearance of, 11–12, 48, 72
Polo Grounds debut of, 63, 66–69
post-baseball careers of, 270–74
Rachel Isum courted by, 13, 14, 18, 27
Rickey’s first meeting with, 26–28, 179
road trip and spring training discrimination experienced by, 17, 30–33, 36–37, 102–3, 126, 137, 144–45, 168–69
St. Louis debut of, 145–46
signing of, 1, 3–4, 28, 47, 64, 115, 137, 180, 181, 182, 187, 206
slumps and struggles of, 84–85, 86, 88, 96, 97–98, 106, 109, 130, 144
son’s death and, 272, 273
spikings of, 220, 222–24, 227–28
style of play of, 3, 5, 11–12, 162–63, 214–15
as supportive of other black players, 184–85, 226, 268
in switch to first base, 37–38, 170, 183
teammates’ growing respect and acceptance of, 110–11, 125, 128, 139–40, 146–47, 170, 171–73, 210–11, 225, 230, 235, 254, 262
teammates in friendly gestures to, 49, 55, 61, 69, 75, 88, 127–29
teammates’ initial negative attitude toward, 4, 34, 41–46, 47, 49–50, 51, 56, 57, 60, 88, 89, 91, 94–95, 110–11, 147, 152, 161, 197, 254, 266, 267, 270
teammates’ petition against, 41–45, 50, 89, 90
at UCLA, 11–13, 20, 33, 37, 61, 72, 233
weekly column of, 76–77, 103, 105, 128, 131, 133–34, 137, 164, 184, 185, 264
white fans of, 5, 34, 55–56, 60, 77, 107, 118–19, 142, 155–57, 161, 214–15, 216
Robinson, Jerry, 7–8
Robinson, Mack, 10–11, 234
Robinson, Mallie, 7–9, 10, 15, 30, 234, 240
Robinson, Rachel Isum, 60, 61, 65–66, 69–70, 72, 82–84, 85–86, 104, 108, 109–10, 111, 130, 148–53, 154, 155, 157, 162, 211, 233, 234, 235, 263, 264, 265, 270, 272, 273, 275
childhood of, 151
on first trip to spring training, 30–32
JR’s courtship of, 13, 14, 18, 27
JR’s opening day and, 48, 53–54, 66
other players’ wives and, 84, 85
Robinson, Sharon, 272
Robinson, Sugar Ray, 219
Robinson, Willa Mae, 109, 234
Rodney, Lester, 59, 65, 127–28, 129
Rommel, Ed, 241
Rookie of the Year award, 201, 230
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 14, 133, 156
Roosevelt, Theodore, 7
Rosen, Al, 190
Roth, Allan, 169
Rowan, Carl, 201
Rowe, Lynwood “Schoolboy,” 76
Royko, Mike, 143
Ruel, Muddy, 187–88
Runs Created statistic, 225
Runyon, Damon, 22
Russell, Jim, 160
Ruth, George Herman “Babe,” 12, 39, 41, 71, 73–74, 79–80, 81, 94, 136, 179, 184, 197, 198, 236, 240
Ryan, Connie, 58, 76
Sain, Johnny, 57–58, 61, 173, 236
St. Louis, Mo., 123, 124, 161, 176
St. Louis Browns, 179, 185, 186–89, 204, 246
St. Louis Cardinals, 25, 33, 39, 62, 76, 85, 91–98, 101, 145–46, 163–64, 185, 194–96, 202, 205, 215–17, 218, 219–24, 227–30, 231, 236, 271
alleged boycott threat by, 92–96, 97, 99, 100, 104, 145, 163, 194, 201
early season struggles of, 91–92, 101, 102, 130
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 93, 145, 173, 186
Samuel Huston College, 16
San Francisco Seals, 193
Schmidt, Freddy, 101, 104–5
Schmitz, Johnny, 144, 165
Schoendienst, Red, 92, 195
Schultz, Howie, 38, 41, 63, 74, 84–85, 106, 225
Scott’s Chapel Church, 11
segregation, 2, 9, 17, 18–19, 31–32, 36–37, 42–43, 91, 109, 126, 131–32, 156, 171, 185, 190, 219, 268, 275
in major league baseball, 4, 21, 29–30, 80, 133, 135–36, 205, 216; see also Negro leagues
Selig, Allan H. “Bud,” 142
Seminick, Andy, 75
Shea, Spec, 207, 209, 238, 239, 241, 242–43, 243, 252–53, 254, 259
Shotton, Burt “Barney,” 62–63, 68, 84–85, 95, 129–30, 164, 169, 219, 221, 236
managing style of, 62–63, 88, 144, 164, 212
1947 World Series and, 243, 244, 247, 248, 250, 251, 252, 254, 255, 256, 259, 261
Simmons, Al, 101
Slaughter, Enos “Country,” 194, 219, 221–24
JR spiked by, 222–24, 227
Smith, John Lawrence, 90
Smith, Red, 25, 245, 249, 274
Smith, Wendell, 77, 103, 128, 131–38, 139–40, 144–45, 146, 160–61, 163, 168, 170, 171, 173, 179, 191, 254, 257–58, 263
background of, 131–33
baseball integration campaigns of, 134–36, 137–38
JR’s image built up by, 137–38
Snider, Duke, 72, 160, 164
South, 7, 15, 34, 45–46, 51, 107, 117, 155–56, 158, 264
black migration from, 2, 64, 70, 123–25
black oppression and discrimination in, 1–2, 8, 9, 30–32, 156
majors players from, 4, 22, 35–36, 40, 41–43, 88, 89, 91, 100, 109, 114, 165, 171, 266–67
segregation and Jim Crow laws in, 1–2, 4, 14, 30–32, 45–46, 91, 109, 156, 185, 219
Spahn, Warren, 173, 236
Spencer, Donald and Marian, 126
Spink, J. G. Tay
lor, 230
Sporting News, 76, 97, 104, 166, 185, 224, 230
Sportsman’s Park, 145, 187, 216, 220
Stanford University, 77–78
Stanky, Eddie “The Brat,” 35, 37, 40, 42, 55, 57, 58, 68, 73, 75, 87–88, 119, 130, 144, 164–65, 194, 196, 213, 219, 221, 222, 224, 253, 265, 267
in 1947 World Series, 238, 239, 245, 247, 248, 251, 254, 260
support of JR shown by, 55, 75, 88, 104, 128, 140, 228
statistics, baseball, 169, 224–25
Stevens, “Whistling” Ed, 41, 63, 84, 225
Stewart, R. W., 239–40
Stirnweiss, Snuffy, 204, 236, 247, 250, 256, 259, 261
Stovey, George, 29
Strincevich, Nick “Jumbo,” 160
Strode, Woody, 12, 33–34
Strull, Stan, 70
Sukeforth, Clyde “Sukey,” 27, 49–50, 59, 137, 140, 228, 229
Summers, Bill, 184
Tampa Tribune, 185
Tatum, Reese “Goose,” 175
Tatum, Tom, 59, 69
Taylor, Harry, 213, 216, 249
television, 113–14
World Series coverage on, 238–40, 243, 257
Thomas, Charlie, 115–16
Thompson, Henry, 186, 187, 188
Thomson, Bobby, 69, 80–81
Time, 230
Torgeson, Earl, 58
To Secure These Rights, 171
To Stand and Fight (Biondi), 64
Townsend, Willard, 243
Tresh, Mike, 132
Truman, Harry, 2, 141, 170–71, 198, 239
Turkin, Hy, 201
Uhlberg, Louis, 214–15
Uhlberg, Myron, 214–15
Uhlberg, Sarah, 214
Vaughan, Arky, 37, 55, 130
Veeck, Bill, 181–84, 190, 267
Vernon, Mickey, 203
Walker, Dixie, 35, 40–42, 47, 56, 57, 70, 96, 111, 144, 164, 165, 167, 173, 195, 196, 212, 213, 224, 225, 234, 237, 253, 261, 271, 274
alleged letter-writing campaign of, 100–101, 211
anti-JR petition and, 41–45, 211, 266
attempted trades of, 46, 89, 159, 160
as civil to JR, 75, 171, 197, 210–11, 266, 267
finalized trade of, 265–66
in 1947 World Series, 242, 247, 248, 253, 254–55, 260
physical appearance of, 40
racial biases of, 41–42, 44–46, 56, 92, 100–101, 137–38, 171, 197, 211, 225
southern background of, 40, 45–46, 265, 266–67
Walker, Ewart, 41
Walker, Harry, 41, 92, 93, 222
Walker, Weldy, 29
Wallander, Arthur, 103
Washington, Booker T., 107, 153
Washington, Kenny, 12, 33–34
Washington Post, 187
Washington Senators, 41, 76, 185, 187, 191, 203, 205, 246