Seventy-five years after Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers have followed in Robinson’s footsteps by putting spikes on the ballpark.
A group of Dodgers players and coaches toured the museum. Kendrick called it civil rights and justice seen through a baseball lens. Robinson used his fame and fame to become a civil rights activist.
“It’s emotional. It’s exciting,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts believes young players in the major leagues understand the monumental achievement of a combined Negro leaguer under tough conditions. “I think it’s really important to understand our history and how it came to be as we move forward.”
Roberts is one of only two black managers in Major League Baseball, along with Dusty Baker of the Houston Astros. Roberts is also half Japanese.
During the tour, Dodgers pitcher David Price posed with a statue of Satchel Page, the Negro leagues became major league megastars, some players have been called the greatest and fastest pitchers of all time, and Kendrick is a fanatic. and shook hands.
Price said he was writing a school book report at Satchel Page. “Bob[Kendrick]always said he threw 105 mph with pinpoint accuracy. And he was a showman.”
Reflecting on the visit, Price added that he was grateful for the opportunity to be there. “It was great to see some of the uniforms and hear some of the stories,” Price stressed. , we can realize the dream of playing baseball in the major leagues.”
Dodgers outfielder Trace Thompson echoed his teammate’s comments.
“As a major-league African-American baseball player, I just feel proud and grateful for what they’ve gone through and sacrificed,” Thompson said.
Both Price and Thompson thanked the Negro Leaguers for putting them in their current positions.
“In my opinion, it needs more publicity,” Thompson insisted. “We still have a lot of progress to make, but it’s something to celebrate.”
Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts wore a shirt that spoke to his growing role as a voice of inclusion as he practiced for his sixth straight All-Star Game on the massive media platform. The shirt read, “We need more black people in the stadium.”
Betts also narrates the video, quoting directly from Robinson. is wasting
break the color barrier
“It’s special, it’s extraordinary,” Kendrick agreed. has reappeared and has taken on a deeper meaning.”
After Robinson’s debut, the Dodgers acquired Negro leaguers Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, “Sweet” Lou Johnson, “Junior” Gilliam, Dan Bankhead and Joe Black in the 1950s. Kendrick noted that these deals were made before he signed a single African-American player on half of his league teams in the majors.
The Robinson-era Dodgers stood on the pedestal of the black community for their inclusivity. For a racist, the team was in favor of something else.
“They were totally called the ‘N Team,’ and the meanness that was directed at the Dodgers was because they were all black players,” Kendrick said.
But Kendrick added that former black leaguers can be provoked for many reasons: many were disciplined by World War II troops, and 40 percent did not attend college. rice field.
“White fans filled the ballparks to see the black stars,” Kendrick said. “But then black players couldn’t go to the hometowns of white fans and eat at restaurants or find hotels to stay the night. They ate peanut butter and crackers on the bus, I slept on the bus..”
Kendrick credits black soldiers with driving the integration movement.
“Can we accept racism at home while fighting it to the death for our country and risking it to the death?” Kendrick said. “There is a growing feeling that (black) players should be allowed to play in this country.”
The current Dodgers wouldn’t have heard such a history lesson at the Negro League Museum on this year’s landmark anniversary, but Covid protocols have cut their 2020 season and an interleague series with the Kansas City Royals. has been postponed. This week’s visit was the team’s first visit to Fountain City since 2014.
For Saturday night’s game, both teams will wear the jerseys of their previous two teams to honor Robinson. The Dodgers wear his 1955 Brooklyn uniform, and the Royals wear his 1945 Kansas City uniform of his Monarchs.
There was another celebration of Negro League excellence at Royals Stadium on Saturday, with ‘Buck’ O’Neal in the spotlight. They brought the former Monarch player and manager’s MLB nameplate from Cooperstown to Kansas City for public display.
Kendrick reflected on the many black players who joined the field after the color barrier was broken, and the second black player to join a major league team was Larry Dobby, who signed with Cleveland months after Robinson’s debut. I said there is.
“He is rarely mentioned,” said Kendrick. “He’s Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon right after Armstrong, and nobody talks about him.”
Source: www.cnn.com
