Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Barrier (1947)
April 15, 1947: Robinson's debut at Ebbets Field breaks baseball's color line.
Jackie Robinson made his major league debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623, more than 14,000 of them black. Although he failed to get a base hit, he reached second on a throwing error and scored the winning run in the Dodgers' 5–3 victory, becoming the first player since 1884 to openly break the major league color line.
Quick Facts
- Debut
- April 15, 1947
- Venue
- Ebbets Field, Brooklyn
- Opponent
- Boston Braves
- Result
- Dodgers 5, Braves 3
- Attendance
- 26,623
- Position
- First base
Facts from the source article.
Background
The Dodgers called Robinson up six days before the season, and with Eddie Stanky at second base he played his first season at first base. Some Dodgers insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside him until manager Leo Durocher stood behind him. Opponents, particularly the Cardinals, targeted him with rough play, and on April 22, 1947, Phillies manager Ben Chapman and his players hurled racial abuse at him from their dugout; Rickey later said Chapman "did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers." Teammate Pee Wee Reese defended him, and Hank Greenberg offered encouragement.
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