Baseball's biggest superstars salute a legend - first African American Major League Baseball player Jackie Robinson

Ebony, July, 1997 by Walter Leavy

IN a year when words of praise and appreciation have come from the White House, and from statesmen and sportsmen around the world in recognition of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier, perhaps the most heartfelt salutes have come from those who have benefited most from his history-making and pioneering efforts--African American players.

When Robinson and his Brooklyn Dodgers teammates took the field against the Boston Braves on April 15, 1947, he not only opened the door for other Black players, he set a standard of excellence that, 50 years later, is still a measuring stick. "Jackie had his ups and downs--more downs than ups--but he stuck with it so that we, Black ballplayers, could play in the major leagues," says Ken Griffey Jr., who is considered by many to be the best player in the game. "He has been an inspiration to me because no matter what was said about him or done to him, he still went out there every day and did a job. If he hadn't done what he did, we [African-American players] wouldn't be doing what we're doing. And that sizes it up."

To put it simply, that does size it up. In 1947, the grandson of a slave who grew up in the backwoods of Jim Crow Georgia faced death threats, resistance from teammates and race-baiting from opposing teams. But Robinson, who displayed an incredible amount of self-discipline, had to--for three years--employ the "turn the other cheek" approach that Dodgers President Branch Rickey had demanded. Such an approach was extremely difficult for a man with Robinson's degree of pride and self-esteem, but he thought that if that was what it took to make "the great experiment" work, he was willing to endure in silence.

Although Robinson was often disappointed, frustrated and disillusioned, he was resilient and determined to succeed, to the point of being stubborn. He knew that if he didn't succeed, there was no guarantee that other Blacks would ever get a chance. And as a 28-year-old rookie, he did everything possible to make sure that his step forward didn't eventually become a step backward for all those Blacks whose hopes and dreams rested on his shoulders. Jackie didn't just play, he excelled in the face of adversity. He did much more than change the color of the game; he changed the way the game was played. In a 10-year career, his accomplishments included the rookie of the year, the MVP in 1949, six appearances in All-Star games, a .311 lifetime batting average, and he became the first Black player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

What Jackie Robinson did in the face of some unspeakable indignities is beyond amazing and unbelievable. For many, it's simply unfathomable. Barry Bonds, the three-time National League MVP who learned about Robinson's exploits early in his life, is one of many who continues to marvel at the ferocity Jackie displayed on the field and the grace he exhibited off it. "The man was heroic. I've been inspired by his courage and strength, but I fell that way about all of our Black leaders," Bonds says. "Jackie was an educated African-American who had the background to be able to handle the pressures and adversities for the rest of us to not only achieve as athletes but as human beings. I can fell for him; I can feel the pain of the struggle, but I also understand that it took someone with his caliber to pave the way for the rest of us."

David Justice, who was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Cleveland Indians during spring training, takes it a step further, directing attention to younger AFrican-American players who might not be as familiar with Robinson's legacy as they should be. "Jackie Robinson's name should be thrown in there with Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Christopher Columbus. If you're a ballplayer, you've got to know about him," he says. "It's the sort of thing that should be taught in school. Because of Jackie Robinson, we're [African-Americans] playing today. If you can't be appreciative of this man, that's a shame."

Unfortunately, there is some shame because there are a few African-American players--primarily the younger ones--who either don't understand or don't care about the magnitude and significance of Jackie's contribution. Some of the so-called "new age players" don't realize that had it not been for Robinson's courage, they might not be enjoying the celebrity, the multimillion-dollar salaries and the variety of lucrative product endorsements.

One of those who strongly denies being a part of that group in Frank Thomas. In a bit of controversy earlier this year, the two-time American League MVP was considered by some to be among those "new age players" following a nationally broadcast television interview and subsequent media reports that portrayed him as insensitive to and uneducated about the role of Robinson. Thomas says that excerpts was taken out of the complete context of his response, and he vehemently denies that he is insensitive, uninformed or cavalier about Robinson's place in history. "I have a lot of respect for him and recognize that we are where we are because of him," Thomas told EBONY in March at the Chicago While Sox training camp in Sarasota, Fla. "You have to do more than just tip your hat to him; he deserves everything that's going on in his honor."