Jackie Robinson Day

Today is Jackie Robinson Day in major league baseball, the 66th anniversary of the day Robinson broke the color barrier in the majors.  For that, and for his subsequent careers in baseball and business, as well as his commitment to civil rights, he is remembered as a major figure in the civil rights movement.

Some argue, therefore, that Robinson is the most consequential player in the history of the game.  In a broad context, that may be, but we should understand that his impact on the nation was based on the place baseball had in American culture and the national heart.  That place had developed over decades through the exploits of many players, the most notable being Babe Ruth, and including players in the Negro Leagues.  Had baseball not been the national pastime, Robinson's impact would not have been as significant.

Jackie Robinson was a man of great courage, a Hall of Fame ballplayer, and a hero to anyone concerned about personal independence, freedom, and opporrtunity, but he stood on the shoulders of baseball's giants to use the game to accomplish a higher purpose.  The irony is that some of those giants would not have played with a black man.  Such is the complexity, the tragedy, and the power of the American experiment.