The Jackie Robinson Story Page #4

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I ought to come through higher.

(umpire) Batter up.

That's me.

I ought to hit

right on the line.

You watch.

Whack!

(umpire) You're out of there!

(catcher)

All right, Tex, hurry it up!

All right, Eddie.

Get 'em out of there, Ed!

All right, gang!

(catcher) Attaboy, Ed, come on!

Whack!

(umpire) Out!

Fvwhee-whooo.

Let's get this guy out of here!

Come on!

(umpire ) Ball!

All right, Eddie!

Bring it on, Ed!

Come on now.

(catcher) All right, Eddie.

Plunk!

(umpire) He's out!

Now if he can hit like that too.

Fvwhee-whoo

(umpire) Ball!

Bring the ball in here.

That's the one... that's the one!

(umpire) Ball... two!

Whack!

Did you get that?

I got it.

All right, Hank!

This guy's got

a hole in his bat.

Let's get him out of here.

Strike... one!

Whack!

(catcher) Come on, Jackie!

He's out!

No other human being

could've made that play!

Mr. Rickey,

do you really think

he is a human bein'?

Think Jackie's gonna like these.

Knitting, knitting.

Seems like that's all

you ever do, Mrs. Robinson.

Why don't you walk downtown

once in a while?

Or maybe take a

ride to the beach?

I'm afraid to.

Afraid?

No one's going to hurt you here.

I'm not so sure.

The last time I took a bus

I heard some

white men talking...

about Jackie.

About what they'd do

if a colored man

tried to play

on this city's team.

Oh, you know... they talk big,

but they don't usually mean it.

Maybe they don't usually...

but sometimes they do.

Some of the things they said

gave me cold chills.

Somebody get a key.

(player) Can't we get in?

Oh, Mr. Rickey, look at this.

Back in the bus, boys.

Back in the bus.

Come on, Jackie.

We don't want trouble.

I'm the cause

of the trouble, Mr. Rickey.

Maybe you'd like to call it off.

Maybe you'd rather

I went back to the Panthers.

Not on your life!

We started this together, boy,

and we'll finish it together.

We'll complete

the training season

and you'll complete it with us.

Come on.

And ladies and gentlemen,

believe me,

it should be the best

welterweight battle

in the past ten years.

And sports fans,

all is not so quiet

on the baseball front

as officials

would have us believe.

While there are no known

organized movements

against Montreal's

Jackie Robinson,

it is a fact that some cities

are expressing

pretty strong sentiments.

So strong, in fact, that I hear

the International League

president, Shaughnessy,

will make a significant visit

to the Brooklyn Dodger office

in the immediate future...

perhaps... tomorrow.

And now, to answer

some mail as time allows.

Clunk.

Branch, I've got to talk to you.

Well, go ahead and talk.

Branch...

the season opens in

Jersey City tomorrow.

Oh, glad you told me.

And this is your last chance

to avoid a big mistake.

Now suppose you

let me decide that.

You'll break up

the whole International League

playing that colored boy.

I've had letters, phone calls...

I've even polled

all the sportswriters.

What do the sportswriters

have to say?

Jim Flanagan thinks you're

even hurting the Negroes.

This'll stir up

a lot of trouble.

There'll be black

and white fights

all over the country,

and you'll be sorry

you ever started it.

Frank, I've spent

my whole life in baseball,

and I've always

been proud of that,

because I've always

thought baseball

was a fine game, a clean game.

I've always thought

it had a good influence

on the American people,

on the kids growing up.

I've always thought baseball

taught fair play

and sportsmanship.

But if what you say is true,

then I've been all wrong.

My whole life's

been wrong... wasted.

I'll tell you what

I'll do with you.

I'll go out to Jersey City

with you tomorrow

and we'll sit in a front box.

And if anybody's got

any rocks to throw,

they can throw 'em at me.

Phump, phump.

Are you nervous?

A little... maybe.

I won't be when we

get on the field.

Another hour and it'll begin.

Would you rather I didn't go?

Nooo! You might as well come.

If I'm gonna fall on my face,

might as well be

in front of you.

You won't fall down.

I won't if trying will do it.

You think I can run?

Wait'll you see me

this afternoon.

I can't break in

with any scratch hit

and fielder's choice.

I've got to set them

on their ear.

I've got to be

the best ballplayer

they've ever seen anywhere.

That's the spirit.

(vendor)

chewing gum, Cracker Jacks!

Anyone else? Five cents change.

And that's a fact,

ladies and gentlemen...

25,000 people are here to see

baseball history made today

at Roosevelt Stadium

in Jersey City for this...

The opening of the 1946

International League season.

Even though

the ball game has started,

excited fans

are still crowding in

to this huge concrete horseshoe.

It's a holiday throng...

Eager and expectant...

But with one thing in mind.

What will the highly publicized

Jackie Robinson do today?

Will organized baseball's

first Negro player make good,

or... will he fail?

You fans out there,

what do you think?

(man) Programs!

Programs!

(catcher) Attaboy, Bill!

Come on, Bill!

Ball!

(catcher) Here you go!

Here, Bill! Here, baby!

Whack!

Well, I guess

he's got the jitters.

Well, anybody can make an error.

That was an awful easy chance.

Well, as the poet said,

"To err is human,"

and Jackie Robinson

proved himself

indeed a mortal man

in the first inning

by booting that easy play,

permitting

Jersey City's first run.

But the game is young, fans...

And so is Jackie.

Strike!

Jackie?

You're up next... get on deck.

Yes, sir.

Boooo! Boooo...

whack!

Play ball!

And now, here's the moment

everyone's been waiting for.

This big crowd

is silent and tense

as Jackie stands there

at the plate.

He's a right-handed batter.

Stands well back in the box,

feet wide apart, very good form.

And every eye in this stadium

is on that boy.

Anxious...

as Jackie stands there,

waiting for that first pitch.

(catcher)

Give it to me, come on!

Strike!

Thunk.

Safe!

Fvwhee-whoo

(umpire) Safe!

Fvwhee-whoo

fvwhee-whoo

(umpire) Safe!

(man) Hurry up, Jackie!

Right here!

(umpire) Strike one!

Balk! Balk!

He made a balk!

Balk! Balk! He made a balk!

Come on in!

Go in, Robinson.

(catcher) All right, here we go.

Come on.

(umpire) Strike!

Fvwhee-whoo.

Strike!

Attababy!

Whack!

Yes, sir, folks,

it's a historic day.

But a sad one for Jersey.

There's two out in the ninth,

and the score is 14 to 1

with a single Jersey

City put-out left.

There it goes!

It's a high grounder

to Robinson's left!

It'll be close!

But he stabs it!

Jackie goes

to first for the out,

and the ball game is over!

What a memorable day!

Especially for Jackie Robinson,

and for the president

of the Brooklyn Dodgers,

Branch Rickey.

That's the greatest first day

any ballplayer ever had!

Man, oh, man!

Four hits including a homer,

two stolen bases,

and scored twice on balks.

Yes, he played

a great game, but...

Oh, that's the trouble

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