The Jackie Robinson Story Page #5

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with you, Frank.

There you go "but-ing" again.

No, but you know where Montreal

is playing next week, Branch,

and they don't like

colored people there.

Here, look at this.

The sports editor sent it to me.

(vendor) Cold beer, 25.

Hey, punk, give me a beer.

Yeah, me too.

How many altogether?

Make it three.

You got a shine

playin' here this afternoon.

Not me... I ain't got him.

You've got him.

I've got 'im?

I don't live here.

Where you from?

I'm from Brooklyn.

I drive a truck

here once a week.

When you get back home,

tell Rickey that you spoke

with a couple of friends

of his n*gger ballplayer.

Yeah... keck... friends.

Don't tell me about it.

I just don't like shines.

Yeah?

That mean anything to ya?

No.

I thought you was

one of the boys.

One of what boys?

Shut up, Spike!

Oh, what's the diff?

We got a little club, kinda.

Branches all over the country.

When they get uppity,

we kinda put 'em in their place.

Pheet-phooo.

Look what's comin'.

Ah, this seat is taken.

Sorry.

Excuse me.

Maybe you'd like

to come with us?

Shut up, Spike!

Where you goin'

after the ball game?

The lodge has decided

to send a delegation.

(Spike) That's us.

You hadn't ought

to tell anybody.

Aww, this guy's all right.

We're gonna call on Robinson

soon as the game is over.

We don't like them boys

playin' ball around here.

Not in this town.

Robinson!

Clak-clak-clak.

Get out there, Robbie.

BOOOOOO! BOOOOOO!

Let's go, darling... quick!

What's the matter?

Where you goin', black boy?

Don't run away, black boy!

We're the welcoming committee.

Better get out of here.

No, Jackie.

It makes it tougher

havin' you here.

We want to have a talk with you.

We don't want you

in this town, see?

No matter

what happens on the ball field,

you can't fight back.

That's going

to be the hard part...

You can't fight back.

You better not play tomorrow!

Get me?

Get me?

Having any trouble, Jackie?

No... no trouble.

We'll just walk

to the bus with you.

Out of my way, you!

Nice game today, Jackie.

Thanks... thanks a lot.

Shorty.

Yes, Mr. Hopper?

A little present for you.

Present?

Just what you need.

Gee, Mr. Hopper,

that's awful nice of you.

New pair of shoes!

Mmmmm... elevator shoes...

add an inch to ya.

Keep you from hittin'

under the ball.

Say, that's wonderful!

That's a great idea!

Thanks a lot, Mr. Hopper.

Sure hope they'll work.

Watch that, Shorty...

You're an inch taller now.

Forgot all about it!

(umpire) Batter up!

That's me.

(umpire) Play ball!

Whack!

Whack.

You're out.

(man) Way to go, George.

Nice going.

Hey there, big boy.

What you all doin'

on a white man's field?

Get your carcass out of there

before you get rode out!

Ha-ha-ha - heh-heh.

Here's a brother

of yours, Jackie.

Why don't you take him along.

He wants to get

into baseball too.

Ha-ha... ha

Hey, Jackie...

gimme a shine!

Hey, Sambo, do you want

to wash your dirty ears?

Hey, liver lips,

show us them pearly teeth.

(player) Hey, Jackie,

where'd you get that marcel?

Go back and clean up!

Whack!

(Rickey) We'll exercise

our option on Klauber.

Right... write Klauber in.

Yeah.

And that's all.

(Hopper) And that's all?

Good, that's fine.

Then Robinson stays in Montreal?

Uhm... for the time being.

Brooklyn and Montreal

will train together in Panama.

We'll have plenty

of chance to see everybody.

Well...

you do what you

think best, Branch.

But I'll tell you this...

We've had record attendance

all over our league this year

and if there's any possible way

of leaving Robinson

in Montreal another season...

Well, I think maybe we might.

A boy like that

ought to play every day.

And we've got Burwell

at second base.

That's fine, Branch.

That's wonderful.

All our fans want him.

Besides, I think

they're making too much

out of an ordinary ballplayer,

don't you think, Clay?

He led the league in hittin'.

Well... a minor league.

We won in the

Little World Series too.

Oh, I'm not complaining, Clay.

It's just that I

don't want to burden

a fair ballplayer

with the responsibilities

of a superman.

'Course, Jackie might hit

big league pitching.

But suppose he did come up.

How do we know that he could...

well, that he wouldn't

get out of hand?

How do we know?

Mr. Rickey!

Mr. Rickey, you don't have

to worry none about that boy.

He is the greatest competitor

I ever saw!

And what's more,

he's a gentleman.

Well...

I'm glad to hear it.

Bring it right here!

Right through here to me.

Hit me right in

the face with it.

Phump.

That's close,

but not close enough.

Here it is, right here.

Right there...

Right through the middle.

That's close enough.

Cut it back.

(player) All right, come on!

Attaboy, Jackie.

Made up your mind

on Robinson yet?

I think we'll let him

stay in Montreal another year.

That's great with me,

Mr. Rickey,

but you're makin' a mistake.

We got Burwell on second.

Burwell or no Burwell.

Besides, it'd cause trouble.

Trouble?

Yeah...

there's that petition, you know.

Petition? What petition?

Well, some of the boys...

Half a dozen of your

Brooklyn players

have signed a petition.

They don't want Robinson

on your ball club.

They don't, huh?

Get hold of the men that signed

and bring 'em

to my room at 8 o'clock.

Yes, sir.

And you call

yourselves Americans.

Who's your leader?

Who started this?

Tony, you signed that petition.

You want to deny Robinson

the right to play baseball?

I just don't wanna be

on the same team.

You born in the United States?

Yes, sir.

Your parents...

Where were they born?

My father... in Italy.

And your mother?

She was born in Italy.

They came to America

before you were born.

Your father...

What did he work at

when he came to this country?

On the railroad... a laborer.

Your mother... did she work too?

She, uh, she worked

in a shirt factory.

Your father was

an immigrant laborer.

Did anybody get up

a petition to keep him

from working on the railroad?

Not that I know of.

Did anybody try

to stop your mother

from working

in the shirt factory?

Your parents came

to this country

and were allowed

to work as free people.

And yet, you... a child

and beneficiary

of that freedom...

Want to deny

the same opportunity

to an American whose parents

and grandparents

and great-grandparents

have been in this country

for 200 years.

Is that right?

How about you, Dalby?

Would you have the courage

to tell Robinson

that to his face

here, behind closed doors?

Tell him that he can't play

on the same team with you?

Tell him you're

not gonna let him

earn his living as a ballplayer?

Answer me, sir!

Mr. Rickey,

I... wasn't thinkin'.

I didn't think.

And that, sir, explains why

your teammates

call you "Ironhead."

Yes, sir.

Karpen, you've been

in baseball a long time.

Do you want to play

on the Dodgers with Robinson?

No, sir, I don't.

Will you play with Robinson?

I'd rather not, sir.

Would you like

to have your contract

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