Baseball Legends on the Legendary Jackie Robinson

(Original Caption) Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers slides home safely on his steal in the eighth inning of this series opener at Yankee Stadium. This was the play that touched off a heated hassle when Yankee catcher Yogi Berra put the tag on Robinson, before the latter's play to the plate. Umpire Ron Summers, who called the play, said his decision prevailed. The Yanks nevertheless won with 6-5.

The number 42 is prominently displayed in every stadium across MLB.  On this date 29 years ago, acting commissioner Bud Selig casually informed some 57,000 fans at the old Shea Stadium that Jackie’s iconic number would be retired throughout baseball.

For many (me included) this proclamation carried more significance than playoff expansion, the advent of interleague play or construction of new ballparks.    I asked a trio of diamond legends what Jackie Robinson meant to them on his special day. 

Dave Stewart.  3x World Series Champion.  World Series MVP.  A.L. Wins Leaders in 1987.

“When I came into professional baseball in 1975, drafted by the Dodgers, I knew a little about Jackie Robinson before I arrived but then learned a lot about him from Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella.

Those guys opened my eyes to what he meant to us not only as a baseball player, but as a human being.  Jackie set an example for them, and they set those examples unto me and guys like Dusty Baker, Reggie Smith, Davey Lopes, and Al Downing.

He was about strength, humility, and consistency.  He set the standard for how I wanted to be, first as a human being, then as a baseball player.  That in a nutshell is what Jackie meant to me.”

Steve Garvey.  10x All-Star.  Former MVP.  1981 World Series Champion.

“In the spring of 1956, I’m growing up in Tampa Florida.  My dad was a greyhound bus driver and had a chance to drive the Brooklyn Dodgers from the Tampa airport to St. Petersburg for an exhibition game against the Yankees.

My Dad was a Dodgers fan, and my mom was a Yankees fan.  I had the opportunity to be bat boy that day.  In the middle of the game, all of a sudden, I’m sitting next to Gil Hodges and Pee Wee Reese.  Then, all of a sudden, Jackie Robinson goes and literally sits on my lap.   I told that story at school the next day but no one believed me!

I’ve always thought that the two most iconic men in the 20th century that affected baseball were Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth.  Babe Ruth was the essence of power and Jackie, of course, broke the color barrier with grit and style.

He fought every moment not only for the game, but for his race.  I think when we look back at the history of America, Jackie Robinson will always be the upper echelon of people who affected our history.  It was an honor to be a bat boy for him and the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He was a wonderful man who truly set an example for all of us.”

Andre Dawson.  Hall Of Famer.  Played 21 seasons.  8x All Star.  ROY.  MVP.

“Jackie Robinson paved the way for generations of ballplayers to have hope and a vision to pursue a dream.”