“Jackie breaking the color barrier was not just a part of the civil rights movement; it was the start of the civil rights movement,” Bob Kendrick exclaimed while surrounded by every member of the Dodgers and Mets prior to their Jackie Robinson Day matchup.
The President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kendrick, was this year’s guest speaker during the annual meeting at Jackie Robinson’s statue located in center field of Dodger Stadium.
This was the sixth consecutive meeting at the monument since the tradition began in 2021, which has featured figures such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jackie’s son, David Robinson.
“This is 1947, before more of those notable civil rights occurrences. This is before Brown v. Board of Education; this is before Rosa Parks’ refusal to move to the back of the bus. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was merely a sophomore at Morehouse College in Georgia when Jackie signed his contract to play in the Dodgers organization,” Kendrick continued.
“Our very own president, Harry S. Truman, would not integrate the armed forces until a year after Jackie. So, for all intents and purposes, this is what got the ball rolling on social progress in this country, baseball,” said Kendrick.
It could be 2026 or 2086, and the value of Jackie Robinson Day will remain the same. Sports change, and society shifts, but the contributions of one baseball player nearly 80 years ago still carries the same weight.
Without Robinson, there might not have been a Hank Aaron or Barry Bonds, but there also might not be a Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani.
Robinson’s heroics did not just affect the trajectory of African Americans in professional baseball, but of all races, and did not just affect baseball or sports, but rather an entire society.
“If you don’t believe that one individual can indeed invoke change, you don’t have to look any further than right here because what he did was incredibly difficult under some of the hardest circumstances you could ever imagine,” said Kendrick.
Robinson was a phenomenal baseball player who played 10 seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers, batting .313 for his career while racking up 200 stolen bases and 1,563 hits. He made 6 All-Star teams, won an MVP in 1949 and a World Series in 1955, and is regarded as one of the best second basemen of all time.
These types of things are rarely discussed on Jackie Robinson Day, especially at his statue pregame. The things you hear about are his character, how he carried himself, and the type of person he was on and off the diamond.
Not only did he make it possible for anyone to have the ability to play baseball, but he also made it okay for anyone to be in the stands. He pushed the envelope, giving everyone the opportunity to pursue their passions, no matter what they are.
“When we love things so much, are we willing to take on hate from our coworkers, teammates, coaches, opponents, people who root for you, people who are rooting against you, and still go out there and play and do something we love to do? He was willing to pay that price,” said Dave Roberts.
“The ask tonight is to go out there and play with that same sense that tomorrow might not be promised, and that is how he played every single day, and that’s why he has a statue at Dodger Stadium,” the Dodgers manager continued.
Los Angeles went on to win the night 8-2 thanks to 10 strikeouts from Ohtani and home runs from Hyeseong Kim, Teoscar Hernandez, Dalton Rushing, and Kyle Tucker.
The Dodgers continue their dominance over MLB and improve their record to 14-4 on the season as they look to win a third straight World Series, but the real winner on Jackie Robinson Day is everyone. The players that get to don the 42, the fans that get to watch spectacular players play the sport they love, and everyone at home that lives in a world that is so much better because of an athlete whose impact transcends far beyond the game he played.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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