This story was first published in The Sporting News on April 14, 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaching baseball’s color line. It was written by TSN archivist Steve Gietschier, a Brooklyn native who witnessed his first Dodgers game during the Robinson period.
The New York Times’ sports columnist Arthur Daley treated the incident, which we commemorate this week, as if it were just another game. “The debut of Jackie Robinson was pretty boring, even if he had the unpleasant distinction of snuffing out a rally by hitting into a wonderful double play,” Daley wrote, seemingly oblivious to the bigger significance of what was unfolding before his eyes. In the fifth, his dribbler through the area should have gone for a goal.
Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, had appointed Robinson a formal member of the 1947 Dodgers without fanfare only five days before. A short press statement revealed that the Dodgers had purchased Jackie Robinson’s contract as the Dodgers were playing an exhibition game against the Montreal Royals (with whom Robinson had played in 1946 and trained with throughout the spring of 1947). “He will report immediately,” the statement said.
In this situation, “immediately” meant “after today’s game,” because Robinson was at bat for the Royals at the time.
Robinson was at first base for Brooklyn’s regular season opener against the Boston Braves on April 15. Before hitting into the double play that Daley mentioned, he grounded to third and flied to left field. Regardless, he hit the game-winning run. In the eighth inning, with the Dodgers behind 3-2, Eddie Stanky drew a walk and Robinson lay down a bunt. The ball was retrieved cleanly by first baseman Earl Torgeson, but his throw deflected off Robinson’s right shoulder and caromed into right field. When Stanky advanced to third and Robinson to second on a mistake by Torgeson, Jackie was credited with a sacrifice and Torgeson was charged with an error.
The opener drew a crowd of 25,623, which was nearly 9,000 short of capacity, however some fans stayed late. The New York Post’s Jimmy Cannon had this to say about the postgame scene:
“There was a large audience waiting outside, and people chanted for Robinson as I walked through the doors used by the players.”
The Dodgers beat Boston 12-6 on Thursday after being rained out on Wednesday. Robinson went 1-for-3 with a bunt single, his first major league hit.
The Dodgers then assisted the Giants in their home opener at the Polo Grounds the next day. In a 10-4 victory, the Yankees hit six home runs. Brooklyn managed seven hits, two of which came from Robinson, including his first major league home run.
