Two Things To Remember on Jackie Day

It’s Jackie Day, so I’m here to give you my annual reminder that there are two things to remember about Jackie today that don’t get mentioned often enough:

First, this day isn’t only about Jackie. You think Jackie had it hard?

Of course, he did. But he also played half of his games in Brooklyn, where a good number of fans and teammates were pulling for him, never played a game farther south than St. Louis, and had a full throng of national media following his every move.

Many, many Black players played in the minor leagues in the deep south with absolutely zero fans or teammates supporting them (with many/most wishing and/or intending harm), and with zero national writers and photographers around. Celebrate and remember those players too – both the Henry Aarons who were good enough and mentally strong enough to endure, and the players we’ve never heard of as well.

It’s also about some of the best players to ever play the game who even long-time baseball fans aren’t familiar with. Many fans aren’t familiar with Bullet Rogan, Turkey Stearnes or Willie Wells – I’m here to tell you it’s not an exaggeration to say that they are among the best to ever play, but they were never allowed to play in the American or National Leagues.

Secondly, Jackie – rightfully so – is remembered and honored as the first Black player to break the color barrier. Perhaps because of that, many people either forgot, or never realized in the first place, how great Jackie was between the lines. In the five season stretch from 1949 through 1953 Jackie was the best player in the National League, (keep in mind, this was a league that had Stan Musial – one of the best ten players of all time – in his prime in it) and it would be hard to argue that there was a second baseman better than Jackie besides Joe Morgan* in baseball history.

(*Morgan played in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Texas in the early sixties when virtually everything was still segregated.)

If you’re interested, Jonathan Eig’s book “Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season” is phenomenal. Eig, who’s written several phenomenal biographies including the best one on Lou Gehrig, did a great job and I consider it recommended reading for any baseball fan.

Enjoy whatever game you’re watching tonight, and raise a glass for Jackie if you’re so inclined. I will, and I’ll let out a hearty “Fu^k Cap Anson” when I do.

Did I miss anything? Let me know. Leave a comment below or yell at me @mybaseballpage1 on Twitter and/or the “My Baseball Page” on Facebook.