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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 9 · APRIL 27, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #009 · INTEGRATION
Jackie Robinson — Baseball's
Most Important Rookie
Season
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He went 0-for-3, scored a run, and
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL changed America.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL ROOKIE SEASON IN AMERICAN SPORTS HISTORY.
1947 Rookie Of The Year. Death Threats. Teammate
Petitions Against Him. Hit .297 Anyway.
.297 .342 .311
ROBINSON — 1947 ROBINSON — 1949 MVP ROBINSON CAREER
Larry Doby Every year Retired MLB-
FIRST AL BLACK PLAYER APRIL 15 wide
#42
Robinson broke MLB's color barrier on April 15, 1947. He received death threats, had teammates sign
petitions against playing with him, and was forbidden by Branch Rickey from responding to any
provocation. He hit .297 with 29 stolen bases and won Rookie of the Year. He was 28 years old.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Boston Braves APRIL 15, 1947
3
0 1 26,623 W 5–3
AB HITS RUNS ATTENDANCE RESULT
Opening Day 1947
THE MOST IMPORTANT 0-FOR-3 IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Robinson went 0-for-3 in his first major league game at Ebbets Field. He scored a run. The Dodgers won 5-3.
The box score looked ordinary. Everything else was not. 26,623 fans attended — including a large contingent
of Black fans who had never had a reason to attend a major league game before.
ERA VS ERA 03
Greatest Athlete As A Social Figure In American History?
JACKIE ROBINSON — BASEBALL MUHAMMAD ALI — BOXING
BARRIER BROKEN BARRIER
1947 Vietnam draft refusal
HOF INDUCTION VS SPORT
1962 Boxing
JERSEY RETIRED LEGACY
1997 MLB-wide Civil rights icon
Robinson's integration preceded Truman's military desegregation by one year. His visibility on baseball
diamonds in major American cities made civil rights progress more tangible to white Americans than political
speeches could. The field became a proving ground for equality that policy hadn't yet addressed.
Greatest athlete as a social figure in American history?
JACKIE ROBINSON MUHAMMAD ALI JESSE OWENS LEBRON JAMES
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
1947 · CINCINNATI · THE GESTURE THAT MATTERED
Pee Wee Reese Put His Arm Around Robinson In
Front Of A Hostile Cincinnati Crowd.
Early in Robinson's rookie season, as a Cincinnati crowd hurled slurs and opposing players
mocked him, Pee Wee Reese — a Kentucky native — walked over to Robinson at first base and
put his arm around his shoulder. He didn't say anything. He just stood there. The crowd noticed.
The mockery quieted.
I just wanted them to see I was his friend.
— PEE WEE REESE
THE STAT VAULT 05
CAREER BATTING AVERAGE
YEAR BASEBALL WAS INTEGRATED
1947 .311 Robinson hit .311 across 10 seasons and
April 15. Previous Black player in majors:
was one of the most dangerous
Moses Fleetwood Walker, 1884.
baserunners of his era.
HIS JERSEY NUMBER ALL-STAR SELECTIONS
Retired across all of MLB in 1997 — the In only 10 major league seasons. Played
only number retired league-wide. 2B, 3B, and 1B — all at All-Star level.
ROBINSON'S AGE AT MLB DEBUT
Older than most rookies because the Negro Leagues held him back. His 10-season numbers suggest what 15
might have produced.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Don Newcombe
BROOKLYN DODGERS · 1949–1960
CY YOUNG 1956 · NL MVP 1956 · 27-7 THAT SEASON
First Black Pitcher To Win A Cy Young Award. Robinson's Best Teammate.
Largely Forgotten.
Newcombe went 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 1956, winning both Cy Young and MVP. He broke the color barrier
at the pitcher's mound. He later battled alcoholism and became an addiction recovery advocate. He's rarely
mentioned in any discussion of baseball's integration story.
THE CONNECTION:
Newcombe and Robinson were the backbone of the Brooklyn Dodgers integration. Robinson proved
position players could compete. Newcombe proved pitchers could dominate. They won the 1955
World Series together.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Willie Mays made The Catch. 660 HR. 338 SB. Career WAR second only to Ruth.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.