Customer Reviews

Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a perfect two-hour read for a Saturday morning after listening to the author on NPR's Saturday Morning Edition. The reader can hear Mr. Simon's distinctive and familiar voice when reading the pages. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive history on baseball's integration or a biography of Jackie Robinson, as noted in the opening pages. Rather, it provides just the right amount of background on Mr. Robinson and Mr. Richey, as well as the context surrounding events. Mr. Simon's notes and examples stimulate readers to learn more about particular people and events. I particularly recommend this book (and possibly the series from the list of forthcoming books) as a quick read for adults and teenagers who desire to read about the people and events that shaped our nation, yet must balance the responsibilities of family, work and community, which may prevent them from reading longer books.

In the annals of baseball history, Jackie Robinson stands among the true greats of the game. He was that rare ballplayer who excelled at hitting, fielding, and baserunning (stealing home became his 'signature' baserunning move). But Jackie Robinson was more than a great ballplayer; he was a pioneer. He endured overwhelming racism and even death threats, and became an icon for the civil rights movement along the way. Simon vividly describes the tense atmosphere of Robinson's first games in the majors, and describes how some of Robinson's own teammates were afraid to stand next to him for fear of gunshots. The author has written an insightful and enjoyable account of Robinson's breakthrough into the major leagues. Definitely recommended.

A facile and predictable treatment that breaks no new ground and in some cases, as in regard to Robinson's famous tryout with the Red Sox, is not only wrong but weirdly apologetic in regard to that organization. There are so many better choices for a book on Robinsonn - Simon's NPR pulpit should not give him the right to mail in a book like this.

This is the second book I've read in the series (after Columbus in the Americas by William Least Heat-Moon). They are both vivid, concise accounts of extraordinary moments. I came to this book without knowing much about Jackie Robinson. I couldn't put the book down. It's a remarkable story and so beautifully written. I highly recommend it and look forward to others in the Turning Point series. It's a wonderful idea, to get great authors to offer their insights about a particular historic event in a pocket size book.

Whether you are a fan of baseball, of Scott Simon, or just of US history, you should not miss this book. Scott Simon deftly retraces this history of this man. The influence and inspiration of his career on not only African Americans, but all Americans, comes to life. Robinson faced the challenges of racism at every turn of his career, yet he was able to rise above his challengers. I can't wait to read other books in the Turning Points Series.

This little book--small in dimensions and hardly over 100 pages in length--should be on everyone's bookshelf. Whether you remember watching Jackie Robinson play (as I do), or whether he's just a name from the distant past; whether you're white (as I am), or black, or any other race, creed or color; whether you're a baseball fan (like me) or someone who couldn't care less about the National Pastime, Jackie Robinson's story is for everyone.

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating is that there's really nothing new in it; if you already know the saga of Robinson's integration of baseball you aren't likely to learn a lot of news things about it here. But Scott Simon writes beautifully and movingly and retells this great American story with verve and directness.

I've read that there are professional baseball players today (even black players!) who barely have any idea who Robinson was or what he endured. His story should never be forgotten and this wonderful book will help assure that Robinson's memory endures.

This book offers nothing in the way of original research or new conclusions about the integration of organized baseball; it is full of errors, special pleading, and misplaced nostalgia. It also fails to acknowlege its debt to the superior work of others, especially Jules Tygiel (*Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy*) and John C. Chalberg (*Rickey and Robinson: The Preacher, the Player and America's Game*). Purchase either of the latter books (or both) and give this misconceived vanity effort a pass.

Mr. Simon is an esteemed radio journalist, but this book hardly qualifies for even the low standards of sports journalism. Many factual errors, and Mr. Simon spends almost as much time coming up with excuses for why the Red Sox were the last team to integrate, as he does celebrating Jackie Robinson and those who spurred the re-integration of "Organized Baseball." This dashed-off effort completely overlooks that Blacks WERE previously in Organized Baseball, but were booted out.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the agony, perseverance, anguish and simple raw courage of Jackie Robinson and his wife as he followed his star to the Dodgers dugout. It is a book that belongs in every library for children because it is a tale of heroism and overcoming eveil with good.

There is no question that Jackie Robinson is a genuine American hero; his stoic acceptance of the abuse he endured in his first year with the Dodgers was fierce. The significance of the integration of major league baseball cannot be overstated in the overall move towards the overthrow of all racial barriers. As Simon so aptly points out, Robinson's life was truly in danger; America had an internal terrorist cell operating for decades with the tacit support of large segments of the population and law enforcement. The purpose of that cell was to keep people of color in their place and they never hesitated to kill when it served their purposes. Black people and their white supporters were still being murdered two decades after Robinson first took the field for the Dodgers.
Independent of the reasons that motivated them; you also have to be proud of the actions of the other people on the Dodgers. It all starts with Branch Rickey, who despite his faults; was a visionary who did this because he wanted to win and it was the right thing to do. There was manager Leo Durocher, hardly a saint, who was emphatic with the Dodger players in telling them Robinson was going to play because he would help them win and that was the only thing that mattered. There was southerner Eddie Stanky, who screamed at the Phillie players who were issuing racial taunts at Robinson, calling them cowards for picking on someone who could not fight back. Finally, there was Pee Wee Reese, who called time at one of the most brutal moments, to walk over to Robinson and comfort him.
The primary message from this book is that Jackie Robinson succeeded because he was a great player and he brought out the best in the game of baseball. After his Dodger teammates and the Dodger fans realized his worth, they accepted him because he helped them win and in sports, that is all that should matter.