Robinson poses in the dugout with Dodgers teammates as he makes his historic debut on April 15, 1947. Former Negro League players Russell Patterson and James Atterbury along with Cam Perron at Myrtle Beach Pelicans minor league game in August 2010. He was accepted into Officer Candidate School and was assigned to segregated Army units, first in Kansas and then in Texas. Another important element during this period concerns the decapitalization of urban areas (and especially parts of cities where African Americans tended to congregate) and migration of White families to suburban communities from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. This seeming trend of negativism within the Black community at this time would seem paradoxical, at least in the traditional framework of American history. At least two teams were financed entirely by illegal gaming, though it is believed that several other teams may have also been involved.30, What the true intentions of the gamblers were remains a source of debate. The primary reason given for moving the Athletics to Oakland was Kansas Citys lack of commitment to building a new ballpark.56 According to owner Charles O. Finley, the neighborhood had become too dangerous for night games, and he blamed the aging and inadequate facility for low attendance numbers (though one might argue that the club being at the bottom of the standings for more than a dozen years contributed more to low turnout). February 10, 2011. Somebody told me baseball was a White mans game, he says about a teammate who approached him while he sat on the bench. Did you like this story? Foster had been Negro baseballs best pitcher in the early years of the 20th century and then its best-known manager and promoter. Washington was one of the last teams to sign a Black player, Carlos Paula, whose legacy is even more complicated. After graduating high school, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College for two years, where he continued to have success in all four sports. During the 1950s and 1960s, White Flight to the suburbs would continue to draw capital away from urban centers where Black communities tended to congregate, leading to large-scale vacancy, plummeting property values, and blighted areas where crime became more frequent. While employment rates among Black workers had doubled between 1940 and 1943, there had already been numerous layoffs in the various wartime industries, where Black workers faced a last hired, first fired mentality.10 Companies such as Remington Arms, North American Aircraft, Aluminum Company of America, and Pratt and Whitney Aircraft had increased their employment of Black workers by some 200% during the war, 30% of whom were women.11 What would become of these jobs in peacetime was a major concern. In the middle 1950s five acres of historic buildings were razed in order to make room for new building projects. Seaman Bobbs condition was unknown and he was being held incommunicado. 29 William Sundstrom, Last Hired, First Fired? The headlines of The Call still carried stories about violence and inequality within the Black community but gone was the sense of optimism or increasing opportunity. How the Negro Leagues Worked | HowStuffWorks It was during this period that illegal money, particularly from gambling interests, began to be a major influence in the Negro Leagues. Cam Perron, now 26, wrote about his unlikely friendship with Fann and other former players for his new book Comeback Season: My Unlikely Story of Friendship with the Greatest Living Negro League Baseball Players.. 46; No. Robinson attended the 1964 Republican Convention, but he later supported Democrats as the political parties' makeup changed. Five Bills NFL Draft takeaways through Day 2: Ryan Bates on alert, the lean for Day 3. Perron wrote letters to dozens of players that turned into phone calls and an annual reunion for players. Although Robinson quickly proved he belonged as a player, the color of his skin was an issue for opposing teams and fans. Muehlebach Field, which opened in 1923 and would go through a number of name changes before settling on Municipal Stadium in 1955, was shared by the Monarchs and the Kansas City Blues, the top minor league club in the Yankees farm system. While most Black businesses struggled to survive from year to year, professional baseball teams and leagues operated for decades, representing a major achievement in Black enterprise and institution building. 2. Jackie Robinson was an African American professional baseball player who broke Major Leagues Baseballs infamous color barrier when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Robinson married Rachel Isum in Los Angeles in 1946. Its a Matter-of-Fact that: Matter of Fact: Newsletter of the Urban League of Kansas City, Missouri. Vol. Thousands attended his funeral service, including former teammates and other professional athletes. 46; No. Hearing racist taunts from fans and players prior to a game, Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese is said to have put his arm around Robinson on the field to indicate that he was accepted by those wearing a Brooklyn uniform. 60 Andrew Brimmer, Small Business and Economic Development in the Negro Community, in Black Americans and White Business, Edwin Epstein and David Hampton, ed., (Dickinson Publishing, Encino, CA., 1971). Several teams were owned by beer barons, and there is much speculation that some of these teams were used as a means of washing monies.32 While Black owners were criticized (sometimes fairly) for being connected with illegal gaming and numbers-running, there were major league owners during the same period who actually owned casinos and horse tracks.33, This trend in Black baseball was mirrored in African American owned businesses more broadly. Of special import here is the economic effect desegregation had on medium and large-scale Black-owned businesses during the post-war period, with the Negro Leagues and their franchises serving as prime examples of Black-owned businesses that were expansive in size, profitable, publicly visible, and culturally relevant to the community. In the early 1960s there were only a few teams left and the league disbanded, though some clubslike the Monarchscontinued to barnstorm. Ill never forget that, Aaron wrote. After signing with the Milwaukee Braves for $10,000, Aaron was assigned to one of the organization's . Register now to join us on July 5-9, 2023, in Chicago. While the integration of professional baseball is often seen as a benchmark in the history of civil rights, this did not come without great costfinancial and otherwiseto Black baseball and the African American community broadly. When some teammates wanted to boycott Robinson's addition to the team, Reese refused to sign the petition. Throughout the 1920s Black teams continued to make money, and while paid substantially less than their White counterparts, African American players earned about twice the national median income.28, However, by the end of the decade Black baseball was in steep decline. Also, Kansas City is unique in that it was the westernmost major metropolis in a border state, straddling the line between North and South and taking on aspects of both.1 However, in most respects the setting for this essay could have been any urban Black area in the United States in this period, with Kansas City being quite representative of the time. Baseball Reference Adds Negro League Data In Record Books : NPR The result would be the collapse of the Negro Leagues (and many other Black-owned enterprises) which in conjunction with White Flight left many urban areas much less economically viable and with fewer opportunities for capitalization. Umpiring of league games was sometimes erratic because umpires were hired by the home team. You Just Cant Find Good Help Anymore, Matter of Fact: Newsletter of the Urban League of Kansas City, Missouri. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Jackie was honorably discharged from the Army in November 1944, and he took a job coaching basketball at a college in Austin, Texas. Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier but these Black players With both of these industries went many comparatively well-paid and often unionized jobs. 20 terms . His older brother Mack, a silver medalist in track and field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest in athletics, and the younger Robinson ultimately earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball, football and track while at Muir. In the mid-fifties the Monarchs were sold, and while they retained the name Kansas City Monarchs, this was a device used as a draw at the gate. And. With Robinson, from left, are Johnny "Spider" Jorgensen, Harold "Pee Wee" Reese and Eddie Stanky. After college, Robinson was drafted by the US Army and spent a couple of years in the military. I; No. The announcement came during the centennial celebration of the founding of the Negro Leagues. During the first half of the 20th century, the major leagues of baseball were White only and Black owners formed their own leagues. In the ninth, Outman capped the Dodgers' strong offensive performance with a two-run homer off right-hander Brad Boxberger, this time on a changeup. On Thursday, MLB is observing the day Robinson first played with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" This was again the case in Kansas City. How Jackie Robinsons wife, Rachel, helped him break baseballs color line. TheConversation.com.Breslin, Jimmy. 3 Thomas J. Sugrue, Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North (New York: Random House, 2008), 17779. Beginning with Rickeys Dodgers, most major league teamswith a few notable exceptions such as Bill Veecks Cleveland Indians, who became a powerhouse behind several Black starskept roster spots for African American players to a minimum. Tip Your Cap to Baseball's Negro Leagues | SportsRaid - Medium Printing Office; Washington, 1952), 1719. Four years later there was an attempt to start a Black major league with teams in Chicago; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; and Kansas City, Kansas. By early June its Detroit team had dropped out, the schedule was curtailed, and salaries were slashed. 18 Urban League of Kansas City. The promise of a new publicly financed stadium helped secure Kansas City an expansion team, the Royals, in 1969 and Municipal Stadium was finally abandoned after the 1972 baseball season.57 It sat unused and dilapidated until 1976 when it was demolished for being a danger to public safety.58 Professional baseball had left Kansas Citys African American community for the last time. Here's a rundown of the eight Negro Leagues players featured in MLB: The Show 23. . With perennially winning teams built around future Hall of Famers like Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, and Jackie Robinson, as well as Buck ONeil, whose bronze image stands near the Cooperstown shrines entrance, the Monarchs were consistently one of the top drawing teams in baseball (Black or White) and nearly always in championship contention. appreciated. Manager of Chicago American Giants who organized black baseball's first viable league. Robinsons jersey number 42 was retired by all big-league teams in 1997, meaning it could no longer be worn by any player. Jackie Robinson's success marked decline of Negro Leagues Robinson was a formidable athlete in college, lettering in four sports at UCLA. All of these elements merged in the Kansas City Black community, centered in the inner-city area of 18th and Vine. Predictably, Black-owned firms began to fail and by 1940 the number of Black-owned businesses had declined by 16% to 87,475.34, The situation in Kansas City was different and unique in the league, as the Monarchs had a White owner, J.L. How many home runs did he hit? Once Robinson agreed to turn the other cheek, a Biblical phrase used by the religious baseball executive, he was assigned to the Royals for the 1946 season, where he was embraced by Montreal fans and batted an impressive .349. Many of the same sentiments were echoed in another local Black newsletter, which on the front page expressed concern about the unemployment rate of the African American community and what postwar demobilization would mean for the Black worker. Who was the first player to break the color line and play for the Major Leagues. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. 1950 United States Census of Population Report; Kansas City, Missouri (U.S. Govt. Name two. Provide a detail that shows Josh Gibson's skill as a hitter. In 1947, his first year with the Dodgers, he earned the inaugural Rookie of the Year award. They had to ride all night and had nowhere to stay. Until that time, professional ballplayers of color suited up for teams only in the Negro Leagues. 21 Janet Bruce, The Kansas City Monarchs: Champions of Black Baseball (University of Kansas Press; Lawrence, 1985), 117. Citing a lack of proper contracts (which is to say, contracts that had been approved for use in the White major and minor leagues), teams simply ignored the vested interests of Black clubs and signed the many of the best players outright without any financial consideration of Negro League owners.44 Denouncing Black-owned businesses as being illegitimate and therefore ethical to deal with in an inequitable manner had long been a common practice among White business owners. In Jack Etkins Innings Ago: Recollections by Kansas City Ballplayers of their Days in the Game, ONeil discusses how Black teams provided a community focus for groups of African Americans living outside of cities with Negro League teams and in rural areas with small Black populations.24 According to ONeil, when a team such as the Kansas City Monarchs barnstormed through small towns in the South and Midwest, often the entire Black population in the area would turn out, wearing their Sunday best. Corrections? According to Monarchs manager and first baseman Buck ONeil, this was an exciting time and place to be a part of. After his father abandoned the family in 1920, they moved to Pasadena, California, where his mother, Mallie, worked a series of odd jobs to support herself and her children. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Jackie Robinson's Professional Sports Career, Jackie Robinson Movies: The Jackie Robinson Story and 42, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson. Outman's first homer of the day came in the second inning, a solo shot off Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski on an 80 mph sweeper that stayed out over the middle of the plate. These workers in turn then patronized local businesses. The reality is that much of the African American community was largely unaffected economically by the successes of the Civil Rights Era. It is known that the team played most of the 1965 season and folded near the end of the year. A return visit to what had been the heart of the Black community reiterates this theme. Fann retired after a knee injury and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he later played in the semiprofessional Industrial Baseball League while working as a forklift driver for 15 years. After retiring from the Dodgers, Robinson acted as a sportscaster, worked as a business executiveat Chock full o'Nuts and was active in the NAACP and other civil rights groups. Two of its solvent franchises, Chicago and Indianapolis, joined the Negro Southern League for 1932. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 1946. For these fans, the attraction was perhaps not so much the game itself, but rather the expression of African Americans being treated with something like equality (as in playing on equal terms against White teams) and often demonstrating their ability to compete successfully. September is a reasonable guess. With new public accommodation laws came increased competition with other businesses outside of the traditional Black section of the city, and many African American owned shopswhich generally had less access to capital, and prohibitive conditions attached when it could be foundwere in most cases no longer able to operate profitably.54 By 1964, only two large buildings anchored the area, with the Kansas City Call still operating in the same space since 1922 on the east end, and the Lincoln Building housing several professional offices to the west. 58 Lawrence Ritter, Lost Ballparks: A Celebration of Baseballs Legendary Fields (Penguin; New York, 1994), 136. This was also the period of Garveyism, the Harlem Renaissance, and the first wave of Black Nationalism. The gesture was meant to honor Robinsons legacy and the historic impact he had on professional baseball, sports in general and, by extension, American society, and in recognition of the difficulties the athlete faced in breaking Major League Baseballs color barrier. While national unemployment rates during the Great Depression would peak at about 25% and White baseball saw substantial decreases in attendance, the jobless rate among African Americans was considerably higher.29 With deteriorating economic conditions, fans attended far fewer games, and teams and leagues began to fail. Contact SABR, https://sabr.org/sites/default/files/1945-kc-monarchs2.jpg, /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sabr_logo.png, Negro League Baseball, Black Community, and The Socio-Economic Impact of Integration. By 1948 only the NAL was still in operation, and it was relegated to minor league status. (2011). Phoenix, AZ 85004 One would argue that despite the legal gains made during this period, which were substantial and should not be dismissed, the larger issue was access to economic opportunities. The current face of American society would have been almost unimaginable at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Perron became friends with several former players, including Fann and Russell Patterson, who played with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues in 1960. It is said that during the interview, Rickey demanded that Robinson not respond when on the receiving end of racial abuse. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Another handicap was the wide disparity in the quality of the teams; two or three clubs would dominate and earn far more money than their weaker brethren. In this story: Jackie Robinson Bill Ladson has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2002. Vol. July, 1945, 1. The lead story from the September 1965 issue (at this point, The Call had become a monthly rather than weekly publication) led with a story titled, Vicious Attack on Farmer: Admits Cutting Mans Tongue Out, in which a young Black man killed an elderly Black farmer while attempting to keep him from being able to testify against him regarding a crime the older man had witnessed by removing his tongue.49 Other headlines include, Three Whites Arrested in Brewster Killing, Slain Priest Buried in Home Town, 2,200 Still in Jail from L.A. Rioting, and NAACP Official Injured in Bombing.50. His performance both on and off the field earned him a call-up to Brooklyn the following season. The principal Negro leagues were the Negro National League (192031, 193348), the Eastern Colored League (192328), and the Negro American League (193760). After playing a game in Huntsville, Alabama, Patterson told CNN that he and his teammates had to stay overnight and slept with the bats on our chests because the Ku Klux Klan was supposed to have seen us playing that day., The players are not household names like Robinson or the late Hall of Fame baseball star Hank Aaron, Perron told CNN, but their experiences paved the way for baseball now.. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen.