Breaking the Barrier: Jackie Robinson
   

large product photo

image source

According to Cuban legend, Branch Rickey, the executive of the L.A. Dodgers wanted to break the racial barrier in baseball.  He believed that the best strategy in doing so would be to bring a black Cuban player to the major leagues. His initial choice was Cuban shortstop, Silvio García.

In 1945, Branch Rickey, met with black Cuban player, Silvio Garcia, to discuss the possibility of bringing Garcia up to the Major Leagues . As he would later do with Robinson, Rickey interviewed García and asked him, "What would you do if a white American slapped your face?" García's response was "I kill him.”  Needless to say, Garcia was not signed (28).

Rickey’s desire to de-segregate baseball was born out of idealism and common business sense.  Nonetheless, Rickey signed an African American, Jackie Robinson, to the Major Leagues simply because he agreed not to do anything when fans and other players taunted him or treated him differently.

Impact
Robinson changed the game of baseball by paving the way for other non-white players to have an equal opportunity at a professional career.  In 1947, after Robinson finally broke the racial barrier for African-Americans, many black Cubans followed in his steps, in many cases becoming the first black players in many MLB teams(29).  Robinson’s courage and strength was remarkable and set an example for other hopefuls to follow.  It can be said that without Jackie Robinson’s entrance into Major League Baseball, Roberto Clemente never would have been a professional baseball player.