Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy

Author Jules Tygiel describes "Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy," as "Not a biography of Jackie Robinson, but rather a broad social history of the integration process in baseball." Naturally, Robinson plays a central role in the story. In the afterword of the 25th anniversary edition of the classic work, Tygiel stresses that the book is also the history of the Negro Leagues, the campaign to end segregation in baseball, the experiences of other African Americans and non-White Hispanic players in both the minor and major leagues. The segregation of baseball is a sad chapter in its history. In 1942, Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis said there was no rule of any kind prohibiting Negroes from playing in the major leagues. Baseball blamed other parties and circumstances beyond their control for the absence of Negroes in the majors. Baseball executive Larry MacPhail blamed the absence of Blacks on ignorant protesters, inadequate black athletes and the greedy Negro Leagues. Unbelievably, in 1945 The Sporting News stated there was "not a single Negro player with major league possibilities." Around the same time, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller said he could not see any future in major league baseball for Jackie Robinson. World War II and the integration of the armed forces was the watershed in the struggle for civil rights, according to Tygiel. The efforts of black sportswriters, the Communist Party and a handful of white sportswriters helped open the door to integration. Robinson was the right man to integrate baseball because he was "tough, intelligent and proud." Under terrific pressure while playing for Montreal in the International League in 1946, Robinson passed the test with a superb performance. He led the league in batting average and runs and was second in stolen bases. Robinson faced many challenges during his rookie season with the Dodgers in 1947, but he met them on and off the field. By the end of the year, he was voted Rookie of the Year and the second most popular man in America (only behind Bing Crosby) in a national poll. Robinson opened the doors for players such as Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, Luke Easter, Monte Irvin and Hank Thompson. Many black players such as Piper Davis and Ray Danridge, however, were denied the full means of fame they deserved. Even after Robinson broke the color barrier, black players had to endure discrimination and despicable behavior through the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the minor leagues. As Tygiel notes, "most teams headed down the begrudging path to integration." Every serious baseball fan should read this book.

I RECEIVED THE BOOK IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND IN A TIMELY MANNER. GOOD JOB. T[[ASIN:0195339282 Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy] THANK YOU!

THis is a wonderful book that I can't praise enough. If you - like me - have been putting off reading about Jackie Robinson and the other black baseball pioneers of the late 1940's and 1950's, this is the book for you. It's a shocking description of just what life was like for blacks at that time. It's a real eye-opener that needs to be read by all baseball fans and all students of American history.

I have a better understanding of integregation and how it affected every American no matter what his race or beliefs. Baseball was a pioneering vechicle for social questioning and challenged many men other than Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson into greatness. They were courageous men who had to fight convention and who lead other Americans to follow their example. I realize the impact integration had on everyone involved Black or White: the team owners, the players, broadcasters, vendors, and families. Many individuals sacrificed to improve their freedom and the freedom given to other humans. Mr. Rickey and Mr. Robinson are not portrayed as mythological figures but rather as real men I can respect more because they are like all of us. I am convinced that Mr. Robinson endured because he had strong character and determination and he believed in "the experiment." I feel I know him better now that I know more about his struggles and triumphs. I kept reading because everything was explained simply and with logic and with an absence of bias.

Professor Tygiel's book is the definitive work on the importance of Jackie Robinson to American history. Tygiel writes a well-researched, dynamic narrative that illustrates Robinson's incredible achievements and strength of character. This book, unlike others on Robinson, focuses on the years before and after 1947 as well. By doing this, Tygiel reveals the impact of Robinson's achievement in the context of the emerging civil rights movement. Jackie Robinson's story was not his alone- it was the story of the ballplayers who came after him. The book also shows how Robinson's courageous seasons personified the changing American conscience regarding race in the post-war era.