Editor’s note: These five so-called “sidebar” stories first appeared in The Sporting News dated the April 23, 1947, leading up to and after Jackie Robinson’s major league debut April 15 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. They were part of TSN’s multi-page, multifaceted coverage of the historic breaking baseball’s color line. (Warning: Outdated references to race my be offensive to some.)
First AB Report
AT BAT — First. Man on second, two out, two in: Popped to center, ending the inning.
Third. Men on first and third, one out: Flied to left, Reiser scoring easily after the catch to put Dodgers ahead, 3 to 1.
Fifth. Bases loaded, none out: Sent bouncer to short, which Rizzuto heaved wildly past Slimweiss and into right field for two-run error (one run counting as RBI).
Fifth. Up fur second time in inning with men on second and third and one out: Lined solidly to center, Tatum scoring handily after catch.
MORE: The Sporting News marks the enduring impact of Jackie Robinson
Seventh. Men on first and second, none out. Robby dumped sacrifice bunt on which Spud Chandler, hurrying peg against speedy runner, heayed wildly so that Stirnweiss, covering first, couldn't hold ball. Robby reached first on eror, but when Snider overran third, Stirny's peg to Johnson nailed him.
AT FIRST BASE: Handled 15 putouts without Incident. No assists, no errors.
‘Jackie Quick on The Trigger’ — Stanky
By LESTER BROMBERG of the New York World-Telegram
NEW YORK, N. Y. — Eddie Stanky was high on Jackie Robinson, following that chap's first game as a Dodger. The little second baseman, shrewd enough baseball man to have been boosted by some for the post of manager, says: "He learns; you don't have to tell him twice.”
Stanky, close to first base geographically and tactically, guided the Negro novitiate's moves unselfishly and intelligently at Ebbets Field, April 11, as 24,237 saw Brooklyn manhandle the Yankees, 14 to 6, in a sun-showered exhibition, with an 11-run fifth as a memento for Flatbush haters of all things New Yorkese.
Reducing to lucid terms a pertinent aspect of what had been whipped into a state occasion — historic is probably the word — Eddie explained in the near-deserted dressing room: "I don't remember whether it was the third or fourth inning, but I told him to play up nearer the bag. He had been too deep, making it tough to gauge the throw." Once corrected, Robinson didn't repeat the mistake, Eddie pointed out
A native of Mobile, Ala., Stanky then volunteered a ball player's respect for a member of his craft performing under hardship, irrespective of personalities.
"With all that pressure on, he did remarkably well," Eddle said thoughtfully.
A pleasing feature of Robinson's entrance as No. 42, Brooklyn, brought out by Ray Blades, Dodger coach, was that players and fans both were judging him with cool impartiality. The spectators indulged in no indiscriminate cheering for Jackie, nor did they boo his supposed detractors.
In the post-game relaxing, Robinson gratefully acknowledged Stanky's assistance. He also admitted, with a grin, that he felt sheepish one time when he missed a sacrifice sign. "I could hear a dozen voices from the bench," he said.
MORE: If not for Jackie …
Robinson had been way up in the batting order with the Royals, and someone asked him how he liked hitting so far down as sixth. He replied directly: "I'm hitting where I belong.”
His nerves were tested with the first fielding play of the game. Joe Hatten, Brooklyn's starting pitcher, threw over his head on a grounder by Phil Rizzuto. He paid the mishap no mind. Two plays later he moved gracefully on George McQuinn's ball down the first base line, and retired him unassisted. Frankly, he didn't get a real test in the field, but, for a shortstop-second baseman-first baseman in only his fifteenth or sixteenth game at the last-named spot, he looked all right.
Robinson's arrival on the Brooklyn roster had been almost as precipitous as Leo Durocher's suspension, and the clubhouse crew didn't have time to prepare a locker for him. He dressed in an alcove of the main room.
Hadn't he been on edge going into the game? Robinson lied magnificently, but understandingly. "I was more excited meeting my wife and baby coming from the Coast," he said. "Now, will you please excuse me? I've got to go up to the hotel. Junior has a cold.”
No Locker for Robinson
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — When Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers, he found that no locker had been assigned to him in the Ebbets Field dressing quarters. The Negro infielder had to hang his clothes on three hooks until someone moved off the roster to make room for him.
Reminded that Dave Ferriss encountered the same situation when he broke in with the Red Sox, Jackie said: "I hope I can be one-tenth as good as he was in his first season."
Ferriss won ten games in a row before he suffered his first defeat.
Let Jackie Alone, Well-Wishers Told
BROOKLYN, N. Y. — President Branch Rickey of the Dodgers has appealed to well-wishers to let Jackie Robinson alone and give him a chance to make the grade with the club.
Rickey appeared much disturbed over the tremendous publicity that has resulted from the bringing of Robinson, first Negro to reach the modern major leagues, to the Brooklyn team, and the crowds that surround him after the games. "He's not a ball player the way things are now, he's a sideshow attraction," Rickey said. “If I had my way, I would place a cordon of police around him to give him protection so that he might be a ball player.”
According to Rickey, Robinson has received more than 3,000 invitations to social events and to make public appearances.
"He scarcely has time to change into his uniform," he said. "Why, the boy is on the road to complete prostration." —HAROLD C. BURR.
New York Scribes' View of Robinson's Major Bow
A New York sports writer's view of Jackie Robinson's major league baptism was given by Arthur Daley in his "Sports of the Times" column of the New York Times, following opening day at Ebbets Field.
"The debut of Jackie Robinson was quite uneventful, even though he had the unenviable distinction of snuffing out a rally by hitting into a remarkable double play," wrote Daley. "His dribbler through the box in the fifth should have gone for a safety …
"A veteran Dodger said of him, ‘Having Jackie on the team is still a little strange, just like anything else that's new. We just don't know how to act with him. But he'll be accepted in time. You can be sure of that. Other sports have had Negroes. Why not baseball? I'm for him if he can win games. That's the only test I ask. And that seems to be the general opinion.
"Robinson's tremendous speed afoot did accomplish one thing, since It set up the winning run which he personally carried home. His deft sacrifice bunt was so well placed that Earl Torgeson had to make a hurried throw to Ryan at the bag and his shot caromed off a Robinson shoulder blade into right field to give both runners an extra base. Then Pete Reiser doubled them both home.”
Of the crowd of 25,623 fans who attended the Flatbush opener, 14,000 were Negroes.
Writing in the New York Post, Jimmy Cannon said:
"There was a big crowd waiting outside and when I came through the door the players use, the people shouted for Robinson.
“‘They would of had a sellout today' a guy said, 'You know why they didn’t?’
“‘No,’ I said.
“‘They barred out all the gamblers.' the guy said.
“Maybe that explains the 5,000 empty seats at that.”
Games of April 15
AT BROOKLYN — Three-run rally by Dodgers in seventh inning started Bums before 25,623 at Ebbets Field. Only one hit figured in big frame, double by Pete Reiser, which came after Eddie Stanky's walk and Jackie Robinson's bunt, thrown into right field by First Baseman Earl Torgeson. Pistol Pete scored later on fly. Game was scoreless duel between Johnny Sain and Joe Hatten for three innings, Dodgers counted in fourth on Reiser's walk and two infeld outs and again in sixth on singles by Reiser and Dixie Walker and Hermanski's fly. Braves scored run in fifth on Connie Ryan's single, two sacrifices and Johnny Happ's one-bagger and twice in fifth, when Danny Litwhiler was hit by pitch. Catcher Bruce Edwards erred on Torgeson's bunt, Phil Masi sacrificed and Ryan singled.