#brooklyndodgers

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April 15, 1947: Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball's color line. Robinson's wife, Rachel, brought their newborn son to that first game at Ebitts Field in Brooklyn. 

There was a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 Black patrons. Although he failed to get a base hit, he walked 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. African-American fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams. 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 guest 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 Dodgers) ended approximately eighty years of baseball segregation, also known as the baseball color line, or color barrier. He also was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, remembered for his services with the number 42 jersey.

The gala is often celebrated at varied ballparks by Major League team players. Shea Stadium was one of the prominent venues hosting the event, having commemorated the retirement of Robinson's number 42 jersey in 1997. 

Lesson #109

We've certainly all heard of Jackie Robinson and understand the groundbreaking role he played (and the risks he took), but today I'd like to honor Robinson's teammate Roy "Campy" Campanella, who blazed quite a remarkable trail of his own. Born November 19, 1921 (Happy birthday!) in Philadelphia, Roy showed an early athletic talent and was reliably picked as captain of nearly every school sports team in which he played. Eventually he began playing for the Negro Leagues in 1937, having dropped out of high school to do so. First picked up by the Baltimore Elite Giants, he then did a stint in the Mexican Leagues for the Monterrey Sultans. His big break came in 1945 when he was signed as catcher for one of the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm clubs. Originally slated to play for the Danville (Illinois) Dodgers, that team's management decided they were not yet ready for racial integration and so Campanella instead started with the Nashua (New Hampshire) Dodgers, which in so doing became the first integrated professional baseball team.

Campanella officially joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 1948, only a few months after Jackie Robinson. Ten seasons with the Dodgers followed, a span which also included 8 appearances in the All-Star game and 3 National League MVP awards. Perhaps most significantly Campanella was catcher for the Dodgers' historic 1955 World Series win over the Yankees, himself hitting three home runs in that series.

Sadly Campanella's professional career was cut short when he paralyzed his neck and spine in a car accident in 1958. However he remained a high-profile member of the (now Los Angeles) Dodgers organization, in various public relations and coaching roles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 --the second African American to be so honored. His jersey (#39) was retired by the Dodgers in 1972, along with those of his teammates Jackie Robinson (#42) and Sandy Koufax (#32). Campanella died on June 26, 1993. In 2006 the L.A. Dodgers created the Roy Campanella Award, given annually to the Dodger who best exemplifies "Campy's" spirit and leadership.

Career batting avg: .283 Hits: 1,401 HR: 260 RBI: 1,017 Stolen bases: 34

Campanella's MLB stats page

Letter from Jackie Robinson to Nixon Deputy Special Assistant Roland Elliott, 4/20/1972.

Join our 1st (Virtual) PJ Party, 10/17!

Wear your splashiest PJs and join us for a Virtual Pajama Party (Sat., 10/17 at 8 pm ET)!  Learn more about baseball legend and Civil Rights activist Jackie Robinson, the man who broke MLB’s color barrier. Robinson’s daughter, author Sharon Robinson, will discuss her kids’ book about her dad, The Hero Two Doors Down.

More info online:

Teaching with Documents, Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate

Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate

Prologue Magazine story: Jim Crow, Meet Lieutenant Robinson

Pieces of History blog post: Jackie Robinson’s 100th

Teaching Activities on DocsTeach: Analyzing Jackie Robinson's White House Letter, Analyzing a Photograph of Jackie Robinson, Analyzing a Letter from Jackie Robinson: "Fair Play and Justice"

Special Topics page: Baseball at the National Archives

eBook: Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives