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On April 15, 1997, I was a 13-year-old obsessed with baseball. Fortunately for my brother and I, our father's employer had seating at Shea Stadium and we watched a ton of Mets games throughout our formative years.
This evening was the inaugural celebration of Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, 50 years after the day Robinson broke the color barrier of baseball when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were in town and started a two-game series with this organization that gave a 28-year-old man the opportunity not only to showcase his talents at the highest level, but also to chart the way for multiple generations of Africa. American-based players, as well as other colored players from various Latin American countries.
The Mets easily defeated Los Angeles that night, winning a 5-0 win against Armando Reynoso and a 2-on-4 night and four RBIs with central defender Lance Johnson.
But the details of part # 13 out of 162 did not convince fans of all ages that night. The presence of a range of dignitaries – baseball and mundane – and the feeling that something more serious than baseball was happening was obvious, even for an 8th grade student.
President Bill Clinton spoke with spectators who were transporting Big Shea on this beautiful evening on Tuesday, eloquently highlighting Jackie Robinson's effect on the sacred institution of Major League Baseball, as well as its impact on entire humanity.
"It's hard to believe that 50 years ago, a 28-year-old rookie changed the face of baseball and America's face forever," Clinton said. New York Times. "Jackie Robinson scored the goal of the race that day; we are all trying to catch up with you ever since. If Jackie Robinson was here today, he would say we have done a lot of good in the last 50 years, but we could do a lot better. "
These words, addressed to an impressionable young man, struck a chord with me. I knew the history of baseball well, but I was just beginning to explore the history of American civil rights further than the basics of grammar.
Jackie Robinson became the intersection I needed to begin this quest for knowledge. I knew Jackie Robinson, the baseball player. Know that I wanted to know more about Jackie Robinson, the man.
I've read the poignant stories of systematic and racist violence that Robinson and hundreds of color baseball players have endured over decades playing in the major leagues, as well as the generation of players before them having played in the Black Leagues.
Jackie Robinson's talent allowed him to break the walls that had separated the game for so long. But Jackie Robinson's incorporation as a human being has allowed him to become the pioneer behind this sport and this country.
I will never forget the lesson that Jackie Robinson's story told me. I strongly suggest you go out and find the one that resonates with you too.
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