Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - April 15, 2013

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I discuss Jackie Robinson Day and ask to pay tribute to Larry Doby, the second pioneer to break the color barrier.

I quote an article by Kim Geralds of The Oakland Press.

Also, Michael McKenry, Paul Maholm, Austin Jackson and Clay Buchholz owned baseball on April 14, 2013.

The podcast was recorded before the events in Boston took place.

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Players who owned baseball for a Day

Clay Buchholz – 2
Prince Fielder - 2
Bryce Harper – 2
Clayton Kershaw – 2
Cliff Lee - 2
Justin Maxwell - 2
Adam Wainwright - 2

Madison Bumgarner – 1 
Miguel Cabrera - 1
Robinson Cano - 1
Shin-Soo Cho - 1
Alex Cobb - 1 
Zack Cozart - 1 
Yu Darvish - 1 
Chris Davis - 1 
Jacoby Ellsbury – 1 
Adrian Gonzalez - 1
Carlos Gonzalez – 1 
Gio Gonzalez – 1 
A. J. Griffin - 1
Matt Harvey - 1
Felix Hernandez – 1
Derek Holland - 1
Austin Jackson - 1
 Adam Jones - 1 
Jon Lester - 1
Jed Lowrie – 1 
Manny Machado - 1
Paul Maholm - 1
Justin Masterson - 1
Andrew McCutchen - 1
Michael McKenry - 1
Will Middlebrooks - 1
Shelby Miller - 1
Brandon Moss - 1
Bud Norris – 1
Gerardo Parra – 1 
Andy Pettitte - 1 
Brandon Phillips - 1
Buster Posey - 1
Albert Pujols - 1
Sergio Romo - 1
Wilin Rosario - 1
CC Sabathia - 1
Ervin Santana - 1
Drew Smyly - 1 
Nick Tepesch - 1
Justin Upton - 1
Will Venable - 1
Jake Westbrook - 1
Barry Zito - 1

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - April 15, 2013
 

Posts I wrote about Jackie Robinson

There are a lot of things to say about Jackie Robinson and celebrating his legacy.

Frankly I am too tired to write anything.
Fortunately I HAVE written a bunch and I can link them all up here.

We honor Jackie. But if a few things in history were different, we would have been honoring Monte Irvin.

I don't understand people who are against everyone wearing #42. It's a great tribute.

The Red Sox COULD have signed Jackie Robinson. They didn't. And in 1947 Chuck Stobbs wore #42. That's almost as cool as Jackie.

Let's salute the greatest players who never got the shot to play in the majors before Jackie.

A specifically, I honor Hall of Famer Turkey Stearnes, who never got to play in the majors.

I wondered about a potential scenario that could have smashed the color line 9 years before Jackie.

Anyone who says today's talent pool is shallow needs to think about how Jackie Robinson changed talent forever.

Don't believe me? Check out how I created All Star teams in 2010 if segregation was still going on.

OK... I think that's it.
Thank you Mr. Robinson.
America is better because of you.
And baseball is MUCH better because of you.

 

The Red Sox honor Chuck Stobbs

Like with every team in baseball this evening, the Red Sox players all wore #42. It is a unique gesture from the Red Sox on this Jackie Robinson Day.

Remember, the Red Sox were the first team to give Jackie a try out. Back in the mid 1940s the Red Sox had Robinson and Sam Jethroe play for scouts at Fenway Park. Supposedly someone yelled "Get that ni--er off the field."

Seeing the Red Sox lost a racial discrimination suit 40 years later, I do not find the story to be outlandish.

The Red Sox had a chance to be the first team to integrate.
Instead, under the grip of the dreadful Yawkey family, they became the last.

The Red Sox could have lead the way in integration. Instead they were dragged kicking and screaming into it... up until the 1990s when Dan Duqette discovered that the Red Sox didn't even send scouts to the Dominican Republic.

In 1947, while Jackie Robinson changed history in Brooklyn wearing number 42, Chuck Stobbs was a pitcher for the Red Sox.

He wore #42 in Boston instead of Jackie.

Stobbs was 18 years old and a young phenom of a left handed pitcher. His career never blossomed and he is best remembered as a member of the Senators when he let up a 560 foot homer to Mickey Mantle that brought about the term "Tape Measure Shot."

He became a minor league coach before passing away in Florida a few years ago.

He wore the number 42 with pride for the Red Sox.
That's almost as good as having Jackie Robinson, isn't it?

I don't understand the people who are against the Jackie Robinson tribute

O.K. I understand intellectually why some people might think that removing the choice of wearing 42 and making it mandatory makes the decision less of a tribute and more of a requirement.

But so what?

Seriously, when you see the whole team wearing #42 it is memorable. I watched several games and seeing every player coming up with Jackie's number was almost startling.

It was a wonderful symbol of unity for a man who fought against division. And started the ball rolling that led to our current President being elected.

How could one or two players wearing that be as powerful?

Instead of saying "Hmmm... I thought Torii Hunter was #48" you could have people asking "Why is EVERYONE #42?"

And then discussions can start of Jackie's greatness. (And as I pointed out a few years ago, that greatness wasn't just social courage, but he improved baseball forever!) 

How is that a bad thing? And don't assume everyone knows about Jackie.

It's not that long ago that Vince Coleman stated so eloquently "I don't know nothing about no Jackie Robinson."

That's a triple negative... which means he knows nothing about Jackie Robinson.

So put the intellectual argument away for a day.

For once, I agree with Bud Selig.

And if THAT isn't a sign of how Jackie Robinson can unite us all, I don't know what is!