What I Learned from Jackie Robinson: A Teammate's Reflections on and Off the Field

This is a rare little gem of a book. Carl Erskine ("Oisk") is one of the fabled Brooklyn Dodgers "Boys of Summer" whose Major League career paralleled that of Jackie Robinson, who became a mentor, an inspiration, and not least of all, a friend. WHAT I LEARNED FROM JACKIE ROBINSON is more than a memoir of their playing days together, it is an accidental philosophical reflection, a Zen statement on life. Oisk was there for the institutional racism that forced Jackie to stay in separate hotels during road stands, he was there for catcalls and insults, and he was there to see Jackie Robinson transmute hatred into respect through the force of his own personality and talent. "Be prepared. Be ready. Seize the opportunity." Jackie was never one to pass up an opportunity, whether it was to encourage a young rookie like Oisk or to knock an opposing player's teeth out in a furious slide as repayment for a potentially career-ending spiking. He was a warrior who did not suffer fools gladly: One time, he sent an inebriated black fan packing by screaming at him, "I bet your front yard looks worse than you do! Go home, and CLEAN IT UP!" Not always popular, Jackie nevertheless was respected throughout baseball for his fortitude and his innate abilities. These were lessons that were put to good use by Carl Erskine when, after his playing days, he fathered Jimmy, his son with Down Syndrome. Having a Special Needs child introduced Erskine first hand to the kind of narrowmindedness, prejudice, foolish preconceptions, and bigotry suffered by Jackie on a moment-by-moment basis. But, having learned from Jackie, he worked with Jimmy to give his son the most complete life he could have, and he battled to break down the iron walls of ignorance built by those that would happily have otherwise consigned his son to an early death as a "Mongoloid Idiot" shut away in some institution. Moving, profound, and motivating, WHAT I LEARNED FROM JACKIE ROBINSON is truly an essential read.

Carl Erskine has written a book of sincere appreciation of former Brooklyn Dodgers' teammate Jackie Robinson for the role he played in Erskine's life and also in advancing the cause of civil rights in which baseball paved the way for the rest of the country to follow. Part of the book covers the careers both had as teammates on the Dodgers and their almost yearly quest to dethrone the Yankees as World Champions in the World Series. Some of the anecdotes can be found in other books, but there are some stories Erskine relates that I have never heard before. Erskine relates the struggle Robinson faced in gaining acceptance in baseball to his (Erskine's) son Jimmy, a Down syndrome child, faced in gaining acceptance in a prejudiced American society. As Erskine relates, the Boys of Summer are now in their autumn as many of his teammates have passed on. Carl believes that our experiences that take place early in our life are designed to prepare us for what is to come ahead. A black friend he had as a young boy prepared him for the time when Robinson would become his teammate. It's easy to see Erskine's affection towards Robinson. Sometimes what appears to be a small kindness looms large in the one who receives it. Carl Erskine pitched as a minor leaguer against the parent Brooklyn Dodgers' team, and after the game Robinson came over and praised Carl's pitching effort to him. To hear this praise coming from Jackie Robinson meant a lot to him, and was something Erskine always remembered. A chapter I especially enjoyed was Erskine relating a year 2000 trip he and his family made to New York and returned to Brooklyn to see the old neighborhood he used to live in while a member of the Dodgers. The book is only 150 pages long, but whether you are of age to remember the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950's or not this is a book you will find to be of interest to you. I give the book five stars for Carl's efforts to relate his experiences in trying to teach others the importance of accepting others for who they are.