Kostya Kennedy’s engrossing and entertaining new book, “ True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson,” joins a long list of biographies (and autobiographies) of the player. Robinson was a pioneer of the civil rights movement, breaking ground before President Truman integrated the troops, before Rosa Parks refused to move, before the Rev. The truth is far richer and more complicated. But in the half century since his early death, as with any legend burnished over time, his story has been worn smooth - often reduced to his accomplishments during that historic season. Seventy-five years later, this Friday, every major leaguer will wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day, a reminder of Robinson’s lasting influence. Before heading out to become the first Black baseball player in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson joked to his wife that he’d be easy to spot: “I’ll be number 42.” (Associated Press)Īpril 15, 1947, dawned wet and cold. Jackie Robinson steals home plate as Boston Braves catcher Bill Salkeld is thrown off–balance during the fifth inning at Ebbets Field in New York on Aug.
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