Jackie Robinson's Speech - October 15, 1972 - his last public speech

Jackie Robinson is by no means the greatest player in baseball history. He holds no cherished records in the manner of a Hank Aaron or a Joe DiMaggio, and his career numbers fall far short of the statistical milestones by which we currently measure “greatness”. But as former Negro League star Buck O’Neill once observed, Robinson may not have been the best player of his era, but he was the right player for the task history set before him. As such, Jackie Robinson is the pivotal figure in baseball’s narrative and perhaps its greatest hero. Only a man with Robinson’s singular mix of talent, tenacity, and temperament could have taken up the lonely task of breaking baseball’s color barrier. No player before or since has had to perform under the weight of such a great burden. On one shoulder, Robinson bore the hopes and future aspirations of a people too long denied their share of the American promise; on the other, he bore the fierce scorn and violent enmity of those who preferred that baseball, and American life in general, remain a segregated affair. That he rose to the challenge and thrived under the pressure was an affirmation of America’s founding principle, the proposition that all men are indeed created equal. His triumph, coming a full seven years before Rosa Parks’ defiant “sit”, can be seen as the first great victory of the modern civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr, who followed Robinson’s exploits as a teenager, hailed him as “a pilgrim that walked in the lonesome byways toward the high road of Freedom… a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides.” His success paved the way for a new generation of superstars – Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Frank Robinson, to name but a few - who would go on to revolutionize the game and help redefine American culture.

Jackie's Career Highlights:

https://thisdayinbaseball.com/jackie-robinsonjackie-robinson-career-highlights/

On July 31, 1978, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds extends his hitting streak to 44 games, tying Willie Keeler’s National League record set 81 years ago. Rose singles against Hall of Famer Phil Niekro in Cincinnati’s 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.

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On July 31, 2003 the Montreal Expos retired number 8 as a tribute to Gary Carter, their first player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During his 12-year tenure with the Expos, Carter was selected to the National League All-Star team 7 times and won 3 Gold Glove Awards. After the Expos moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals following the 2004 season, a banner displaying Carter’s number along with those of other Expos stars Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and Rusty Staub was hung from the rafters at the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.

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Classic Broadcasts are old-time broadcasts that have been put together from various sources. Many are found on the Internet Archives in a raw form.

If you wish to take a deeper dive, that includes:

Scorecards, Rosters, Newspaper Clippings. All members can jump over to : www.vintagebaseballreflections.com and join the membership platform

July 24, 1983 - Phil Rizzuto calls the At Bat when Goose Gossage faces George Brett with Two outs in the 9th

Classic Broadcasts are old-time broadcasts that have been put together from various sources. Many are found on the Internet Archives in a raw form.

If you wish to take a deeper dive, that includes:

Scorecards, Rosters, Newspaper Clippings. All members can jump over to : www.vintagebaseballreflections.com and join the membership platform

July 25, 2004, a record number of Hall of Famers return to Cooperstown to witness the Induction of Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor. In all, 53 living Hall of Fame members are on hand for the ceremony.

July 25, 1978, the New York Yankees name Bob Lemon as manager, jettisoning Billy Martin. Under Lemon’s leadership, the Yankees will erase a nine-and-a-half-game deficit and win the American League East on their way to the World Championship.

July 25, 1966, Casey Stengel and Ted Williams are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Both men make memorable speeches in Cooperstown. Williams calls for the election of former Negro leagues stars to the Hall of Fame. Five years later, Satchel Paige will become the first Negro Leagues standout to take his place in Cooperstown. Stengel amazes the crowd with his recollections of his nearly six decades in baseball.

July 25, 1955, the largest contingent of living Hall of Famers to date congregate in Cooperstown for the Induction Ceremony. The new members include: third baseman Home Run Baker, center fielder Joe DiMaggio, catcher Gabby Hartnett, pitcher Ted Lyons, catcher Ray Schalk, and pitcher Dazzy Vance. A record crowd attends the ceremony, many coming to cheer on DiMaggio, one of the most popular players of his era.

July 25, 1941, Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox wins his 300th game, a 10-6 decision over the Cleveland Indians. Despite giving up 12 hits, Grove becomes the sixth pitcher in the modern era to reach the milestone

July 25, 1883, future Hall of Famer Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn pitches a 1-0 no-hitter against Worcester. Radbourn wins 48 games that season, and 309 in his career.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

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Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

On July 23, 1962, Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black player to participate in major league ball during the 20th century, also becomes the first African-American elected to the shrine.

Jackie Robinson burst onto the scene in 1947, breaking baseball’s color barrier and bringing the Negro leagues’ electrifying style of play to the Majors. He quickly became baseball’s top drawing card and a symbol of hope to millions of Americans. With Robinson as the catalyst, the Dodgers won six pennants in his 10 seasons. He dominated games on the basepaths, stealing home 19 times while riling opposing pitchers with his daring baserunning style. Robinson was named National League MVP in 1949, leading the loop in hitting (.342) and steals (37), while knocking in 124 runs.

Bob Feller’s blazing fastball set the standard against which all of his successors have been judged. Rapid Robert spent his entire 18-year career with Cleveland, amassing 266 victories and 2,581 strikeouts, while leading the league in strikeouts seven times. He missed nearly four full seasons in his prime serving his country during World War II, for which he was decorated with five campaign ribbons studded with eight battle stars. Fresh from high school, Feller struck out 17 Athletics in 1936. The fireballer authored three no-hitters and 12 one-hitters while winning 20 or more games six times.

July 23 Baseball History Daily

Happy Birthday - Pee Wee Reese

Against all odds, Pee Wee Reese earned an opportunity to play professional baseball, start for the Dodgers, play in several World Series, and be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He did the little things that helped his teams win: bunt the runner over, go from first to third on a base hit, or range into the hole for a grounder. He was the best shortstop in the National League in the late 1940s and into the 1950s.

Pee Wee Reese got his nickname as a young champion marble shooter; a “pee wee” is a type of marble. A Kentucky native, he earned the monicker The Little Colonel as the star shortstop on the Louisville Colonels (American Association). After his arrival in Brooklyn, he was named captain of the Dodgers, and many called him The Captain. The title was well earned, as he was the leader of Dodger teams that won seven pennants in the 1940s and 1950s. When Jackie Robinson arrived in Brooklyn amid enormous pressures and player resentment, it was Reese who set the example of acceptance, putting his arm around Robinson’s shoulder on the field, showing the world he was Robinson’s teammate and friend.

Inducted as Player in 1984. (Voted by Veteran’s Committee)

Todays debut - John Smoltz

On July 23, 1962, Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black player to participate in major league ball during the 20th century, also becomes the first African-American elected to the shrine.

In 1925, Yankees legend Lou Gehrig hit the first of his major league record 23 career grand slams in New York's win over the Senators.

In 2002, Nomar Garciaparra celebrated his birthday in grand style. As he turned 29, Boston's beloved shortstop hit three homers in the span of 2 innings as Boston crushed the Rays 22-4. By the time he blew out the candles, Nomar became the 26th player to hit five home runs in two games.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

Trivia is provided by -Horseshide Trivia

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

July 22, 2002 - Over 20,000 fans gather at Fenway Park for a tribute entitled, "Ted Williams: A Celebration of an American Hero". The two-hour salute of the man many consider to be the greatest hitter in history, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War and a generous supporter of the Jimmy Fund, includes comments from present and former Red Sox players and broadcasters, historian Ken Burns, and former U.S. Senator John Glenn, who was Ted's wing man during the Korean War, in addition to moving music and video.

July 22, 1986 - Ken Griffey hits three solo home runs but Atlanta falls to Philadelphia 5 - 4 in 11 innings. Griffey is the second Brave this month to hit three or more home runs in a losing cause, after Bob Horner went deep four times in a loss to the Expos.

July 22, 1968, the Atlanta Braves set a major league record by using five relief pitchers in the ninth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ken Johnson, Ramon Hernandez, Claude Raymond, Dick Kelley, and Cecil Upshaw all take part in preserving a 5-4 victory for the Braves.

July 22, 1923, Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators becomes the first pitcher to record 3,000 strikeouts in the major leagues. “The Big Train” strikes out five batters in defeating the Cleveland Indians, 3-1.

July 22, 1909, future Hall of Famer Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers steals second base, third base, and home plate during the seventh inning of a 6-0 win over the Boston Pilgrims. Cobb will repeat the stolen base “cycle” three more times in his career.

Historical Recap performed by:

Robyn Newton from - Robyn Says

This Day In Baseball is Sponsored by - www.vintagebaseballreflections.com - Join the membership today and listen to 50 years of baseball history told to you by the folks who were there! As a special offer, all our listeners can use the term - thisdayinbaseball at the membership check out.

Mentioned in this episode:

Classic Baseball Broadcasts

Classic Baseball Broadcasts