Today was Jackie Robinson day in Major League Baseball. Robinson showed a lot of guts to be the first player in baseball to take on the white establishment. But, a lot of other blacks in the era had at least as difficult a time in their fields as Robinson in baseball when he was harassed every where he played. Sammie Davis Junior was treated like crap but he put up with it and went on to make a great name for himself. Robinson had a fine career and is now in the baseball Hall of Fame. (Granted his numbers are not as good as today's players and he receive some sympathy votes to get him there, but he had a fine career).
I guess my point to all of this is enough already. Robinson was the trailblazer for blacks. But when are we going to have a Roberto Clemente day for Hispanics? Or when are we going to have a Masanori Murakami day for Asian players?
Robinson played through a living hell, but it also took a lot of guts from the GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey to take a chance on him. And if it had not been Robinson, then Larry Doby who came along a few months later with the Cleveland Indians would have gotten the credit. So, Bill Veeck should also get as much credit for the advancement of race relations in this country as Robinson and Rickey.
Finally, I watched the Sunday night game of the week this evening, and someone needs to tell ESPN to chill out. Peter Gammons needs to do some research before he gets all emotional on air and Joe Morgan made some good points, but he also did not let the facts stand in his way as he told stories of losing black managers deserving another chance.
Hopefully this hyperbole won't be repeated soon.
