Share on Facebook
Tweet
Add My Story
Red Barber, a play-by-play radio commentator for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939 to 1953, is asked about Jackie Robinson, who joined the Dodgers in 1947, making him the first African-American to play Major League Baseball (MLB). Barber remembers being told by Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, that he was going to bring in an African-American player to the team. Barber recounts going home and thinking about quitting his job, but after spending some time thinking about it, deciding to stay. Although Barber became a big fan of Robinson, Robinson’s first year in the MLB was problematic with Robinson being the target of both rough physical play and many racist insults.
      | Comment |
