AGAINST ALL ODDS

 Against All Odds

What if you knew that the undertaking you were about to embark on would bring you thousands of death threats? What if you knew that there would be many attempts on your life? Would you still do it? I know, I would think more than twice. I would think about it very carefully and probably come to the practical conclusion that I’ll try something else.

Not this man, not this cigar chomping, owlish, rumpled man, who was prone to unnecessary flowery speeches.  Not this character, who was born on a farm, had a law degree, been a teacher, a manager of more than one baseball team , a general manager, part owner and president of a baseball team and probably the worst catcher and hitter to ever play major league baseball.

Who would guess that this deeply religious man, so religious that as much as he loved baseball he would never attend a ballgame on Sunday. He never used profanity and never took a drink.

This man came to the then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942 at the ripe young age of 62 or so he said. He already had an illustrious career with the St.Louis Cardinals. He served there with many roles including as president. While with the Cardinals, he established the first “farm “team idea, which now every major league team uses in order to groom their young ball players for major league baseball.

There was no way of knowing that when Branch Rickey came to the Dodgers, that Mr. Rickey would reshape the game of baseball, more so than anyone before him or after him has ever done. In fact all sports would be reshaped because of Mr. Rickey. In fact, I believe that Branch Rickey did more to change our culture and the country we live in than any  U.S. President or in fact any leader that I can think of.

When Branch Rickey first arrived in Brooklyn there was a major war raging that we refer to as W.W.2 Most of the able young ballplayers were either already serving their country or about to. Baseball like most organizations at the time that required youth were in shambles. I’ve heard stories that one team fielded a pitcher with one arm, another had a first base man with one leg. The rule among the major leagues teams was to field nine men every day , it didn’t matter who, all that mattered was would they show up.

The war finally ended with Japan signing a peace treaty August 1945. Branch was ready to go forward with all his energy. He loved the game as much as a man could love anything or anybody, but he was worried .Branch was worried that baseball, that had been by far the national past time could lose it’s luster. There was Pro Football at that time, not of great concern as a competitor, but that could change he thought. There was Pro Basketball ,not a problem then ,most teams were underfinanced and or broke,but that could also change.What could he do? What could he bring to baseball that would light a fire?

Branch Rickey decided he was going to bring black ball players to baseball. Where to start? How can this be done. The year was 1945 bring black ballplayers to major league ball teams. What are you crazy? What have you been eating?  Blacks to baseball. Huh!! They can’t drink out of the same water fountains. They can’t use the same toilets. They can’t sleep in the same hotels or travel on the same trains. Blacks to baseball. What are you stupid?

Branch Rickey had decided he was going to bring blacks to baseball. At that time, there were quite a few Negro leagues boasting some of the best athletes of the day. Many major league owners were happy with this separate state ,since these Negro teams often rented their stadiums, when the owner’s teams were away, and of course they had no interest in bringing the kind of trouble Negro players would bring.

It was now time for Mr. Rickey to get to work . He and a few of his scouts began to attend the Negro league ball games. Should anyone inquire as to what they were doing and why, Mr. Rickey said tell them the Dodgers are interested in having their own Negro team. After watching more games than they could count, they finally had seen a young ball player they wanted to talk to. His name was Jackie Robinson.

Jackie was impressive. Besides being an outstanding ball player, he had quite a resume. Graduated U.C.L.A. Was a 4 letter man and had excelled in every sport. Had been a 2^nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in charge of a Negro squadron . He was tall, handsome with an engaging smile and a very pleasant personality. It was difficult to find a blemish. Only one! He had been court marshaled for refusing to go to the back of a bus when serving his country as a 2^nd Lieutenant. Mr. Rickey certainly understood Jackie’s reasoning, but this would never do as the first black athlete in the United States to attempt to join a major league sport.” Jackie, you must learn to turn the other cheek,” Branch Rickey lectured him

Mr Rickey made it clear to Jackie that refusing to go to the back of the bus was not acceptable. Asking Jackie to go to the back of the bus would be child’s play compared to what Jackie would have to put up with. Jackie’s life would probably be threatened on a daily basis. On the playing field, fans would no doubt taunt him. Opposing players would do more than taunt him, they would try to inflict bodily harm to him. Some pitchers would throw bean balls at him ,runners would try to spike him,some of his teammates would definitely resent him and cause problems. In fact when Jackie actually made it up to the Brooklyn Dodgers,as many as six of his team mates struck. They said they wouldn’t play on the same team as a Negro. Branch Rickey called a meeting of the six players and asked each one, when their families had arrived in the U.S. Without exception all of their fathers had immigrated to the U.S. Mr. Rickey then asked what their fathers had done for work, and then he asked how they would have felt if some people had tried to deprive their fathers from earning a living.  To a man they apologized and were all on the playing field the next day.

All were on the field but two men Dixie Walker and Bobby Bragan both young a nd sullen. Both men refused to play with a Negro. Mr Rickey reacted by telling both men “fine, I will have to trade you.” But he didn’t. Instead Branch Rickey put his trust in proximity. The best and most popular players on the Dodgers would sit with Jackie where ever he was sitting. Their laughter and good-timing was pervasive. Dixie Walker and Bobby Bragan were left out and it hurt. It didn’t take long for both of them to join the popular areas where Jackie Robinson sat with the popular players . It didn’t take long for them to find out why everybody was having such a good time. Jackie Robinson had a magnetic personality and he knew better than most how to fit in..

Branch Rickey felt it was his job to test Jackie Robinson in every way he knew how, he would dress up in elaborate costumes to hide his identity and show up in hotels where Jackie was registered ,get behind the check in counter and tell Jackie that this hotel doesn’t have his kind. He did the same type of bizarre shenanigans in restaurants. Jackie took these insults and embarrassments as the price he must pay to be the first Negro to enter the Baseball Major Leagues. On his first trip to spring training, not only did he and his wife sit on the back of the bus,they were actually asked to vacate the bus to make room for some white passengers along the way. He and his wife ,although furious obliged. It took longer than thirty six hours for them to arrive.

Very little would go right for Branch, and Jackie that first year except for Jackie Robinson’s exploits on the field. Their controversial manager Leo Durocher was suspended for being Leo Durocher. Leo Durocher was a tough street kid and he knew from fights. He would have been able to stand toe to toe with those who would find joy in doing harm to Jackie Robinson.

The press was vicious. The sports writers of that time were called baseball writers or boxing writers, etc. These baseball writers sided with the owners who thought they would lose their rent money from the Negro league ,when their teams were travelling. They sided with the owners, who said openly, that one Negro could lead to another Negro and white people would stop coming to the games. They turned out to be half right. There were a few, very few writers who supported Branch Rickey. One was Hodding Carter, a young  writer based in Atlanta who would  much later in life become Hodding Carter a significant aid to President Carter. Another was Dave Eagan from the Boston Record American, who I grew up hating since Dave Eagan, who was known as the “Colonel,” gained his both negative and affirmative readership by maligning Ted Williams.

In spite of all these adversities Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey prevailed and so did our country.Jackie Robinson left his mark as one of the truly greats. A Hall Of Famer, a multiple record holder, a fabulous team player, who helped bring pennants to the Brooklyn Dodbgers.  Jackie Robinson’s name has been immortalized. Branch Rickey on the hand has ignominiously become “who?”

Proximity an interesting word that Rickey used in calming his insolent, prejudiced players. Did the predominance of so many Negros in so many sports lessen some of the racism in our country? I believe it did . I am sure that if Branch Rickey hadn’t done what he did, President Obama would still be a community organizer. Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson two unbelievably brave men who put their lives on the line every day that Jackie Robinson played baseball. And do you know what ?They changed our culture ,they changed our world.

Robert Isenberg

5/13 2011