Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
He hit it and that ain't all!
He stole home!

Yeah, yeah, Jackie's real gone...

no mention of Jon's article on si.com?

Pitcher got scared
Made Jackie walk
Stole second, third,
Came home on a balk!

Not sure why, but I continually forget that Robinson was the MVP in '49. Pretty amazing.

Jackie he could run
Jackie he stole home
Now they tell about it
Right here in this poem!

And when he swung his bat,
the crowd went wild,
because he knocked that ball a solid mile.
Yeah boy, yes, yes. Jackie hit that ball.

I know he's erratic, and the Dodgers' would have overpaid greatly if he'd stayed with them, but I still miss Adrian Beltre. When he's on, he has such a sweet stroke, is a great fielder, and I (slightly irrationally) wish he was still our third baseman.

Satchel Paige is mellow,
so is Campanella,
Newcombe and Doby, too.
But it's a natural fact,
when Jackie comes to bat,
the other team is through.

Count Basie co-wrote that ditty.

Never realized Dan Bankhead was the first black pitcher in the majors. Good for a future trivia contest.

Well, there was the .342 BA, .432 OBP, 66 XBH, 124 RBIs, OPS+ 152, 37 stolen bases.

Stan Musial had a great year too, but since the Dodgers won the pennant by a game, Robinson got 12 of the 24 first place votes.

Musial got 5, Slaughter got 2 as did Reese and Furillo.

Some guy voted for Ken Heintzelman too.

I can't wait to tune in tonight to hear what effect Jackie Robinson's legacy has had on the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

10
It's a little-known fact that voters relied heavily upon Jackie's 152 OPS+ that year.

11
Without Jackie, True Yankees like Derek and Bernie might never have become True Yankees.

13-I'm sure his hustle has been an inspiration to Johnny Damon while wearing both uniforms.

My grandfather blocked for Jackie Robinson at Pasadena City College.

He said blocking for Robinson was a challenge because Jackie was fast and strong and if a lineman didn't open up a hole fast enough, Robinson thought nothing of "running up our backsides." My grandfather used another word besides "backsides."

He also said Robinson was "pretty wild" off the field. I didn't have the presence of mind at the time to ask him to elaborate and I'm kind of glad I didn't.

12 - Except they didn't understand it even then, because Musial's OPS+ that year was 176.

I'd like to add how grateful I am to the sabermetric community for pointing out just how great a player Jackie was. I'm old enough to remember when the three stats--BA, HR and RBI--were how we valued players. Winning the batting title was a very big deal when I was growing up. Jackie didn't have the huge power numbers (HR! RBI!) so growing up, we knew he was good but we didn't think he was great. Well, thanks to Bill James and a host of others, my ignorant mind has been englightened.

Musial had won 3 of the previous 6 NL MVPs. I would think that Robinson's stolen bases and the Dodgers finishing first were enough to give him the edge.

Jackie just appeared to be better.

18
That didn't sound right. Robinson and Musial were both very good in 1949 but I think the voters probably thought that Robinson because of his speed and playing a middle infield position looked more valuable than Musial, an outfielder.

So, even though we don't get to find out why, till Tuesday, do we get to know which t.v. you got? Some of us like to live vicariously through the technological purchases of others.

20
A Panasonic TC-26LX70.

I don't know if Pete Seeger's face benefits from HD right now.

Plus, a 152 OPS+ at 2B was probably more impressive than a 176 in the outfield

Marco Scutaro will remember Jackie Robinson Day 2007.

20 "So, even though we don't get to find out why, till Tuesday..."

And will Aimee Mann be on hand to make the announcement?

---

I like Dusty Baker's pick of Rickie Weeks as current player who most resembles Jackie Robinson as a player. Steve Phillips' pick was Craig Biggio...

Their OPS+ numbers were not that different, Jackie created a lot of havoc on the basepaths, and he was a terrific defensive middle infielder for a pennant-winning team. He doesn't have anything to apologize for regarding his MVP award. If anything, he should have won another one in 1951.

Twenty-six inches, 768p. Built-in ATSC tuner. Sweet.

You could be the first to review it on Amazon!

http://tinyurl.com/3at8ga

No disrespect to the importance of stats, and this may be giving too much credit to the voters of '49, but I wonder if any extra credit was given to having the kind of year he had while still one of the few black players in the ML, and as a belated reward for his importance in '47? Hard to reflect that in the stats.

I went with Icaros' suggestion for how to celebrate today.

Carlos Guillen is the only active player who drew Jackie Robinson as a PECOTA comparable.

28
I assume it involved drunk girls...

Technically this wasn't the day that Jackie Robinson pulled on a Dodgers jersey for the first time.

He had a zip front jersey when he started in 1947.

This segment totally needed Joe Morgan.

There's nothing like spending Jackie Robinson Day at work.

28

I'm not above practicing what I preach.

Bob might want to skip the top of the 6th

Bob will be shattering his new TV in the top of the 6th, I see.

35

Being first just makes you more of a loser.

35
I can make exceptions. I can be the bigger person!

Sweet shades, Peter.

Joe Morgan just gave me goose bumps with his little tribute to Jackie Robinson.

The announcers are making a lot of speaking errors

Marlon Wayans? Really?

Their choices for this event puzzle me.

Courtney B. Vance is awesome. Marlon Wayans, not so much.

I see Marlon bought the Pierre-style Dodgers cap.

Cutting corners by re-purposing the text of the commercial they showed last night seems a little shabby.

A Wayans brother on J. Robinson night:
At least give us the best Wayans brother (Damon), although Marlon's probably the 2nd most talented of the bunch.

I'm assuming this game is sold out and there appear to be a fair number of seats not being used now.

But I'm sure the fans are enjoying this from the parking lot.

Courtney did well in the spouse department.

Sacrelicious.

47 - I think Keenan Ivory might be number 2.

That guy has a weird mustache.

The choir director has a great mustache!

God Bless Vin Scully

Vin looks pretty annoyed with all the cheering

No one can say shut up as politely as Vin.

58 years for Vinny.

Just seeing Vin these days makes me instantly weep. He's like D minor.

I didn't understand the other night on the news when they set a Jackie Robinson story to some goofy, white bread swing tune, and I don't understand why Oh Happy Day had to be fixed for this event. There's a fantastic Jackie Robinson song. Why not sing that?

The only Boo-proof moment of Bud Selig's life.

Wow, the choir was terrific, Mr. Vin's speech was terrific, even Dodger Stadium looks terrific.

Enjoy the game everybody, and happy Jackie Robinson Day!

I wonder if any Dodger player is thinking about trying to steal home tonight. That would be a great moment.

58

I like Bach's Toccata and Fugue in Vin Scully.

According to Gameday the game is being delayed due to 'ceremony'.

48- I think I respect the stragglers more than the guys in the pavillion behind Selig waving at the camera and trying to find theselves on the big screen

I used to play Mozart's Fantasia in Vin Scully on the piano

Its hard to believe that Rachel Robinson is 85 years old. She's aged quite gracefully.

Our commissioner has a weird way of making me feel bad, I hope it's just a psychological thing with me.

Henry Aaron did the best cameo in Futurama history.

Nice to know that the crowd can still get themselves going for an anti-Barry Bonds chant in the middle of a big ceremony.

Have we turned into Red Sox fans?

Barry probably enjoyed hearing it though, assuming he's watching.

48 Totally. Was about to write the same thing - very annoyed with the fans behind Selig and Rachel Robinson who weren't cheering anything but were definitely excited to be seen on TV.

That was pretty amusing when Vin quieted everyone down like a schoolteacher - that was great, though, he was thinking, "This is Jackie's day, not mine - stop!"

All in all I was quite touched by the whole ceremony and even Selig didn't get on my nerves too much. Now I hope the Dodgers can concentrate on the game, that Chris Young will be distracted by his oft-mentioned thesis, and we can have a good game.

70 I was thinking the same thing. Really classy. Just like the guy behind Rachel Robinson making the rabbit ears and the fans in the pavilions jumping up and down and waving during the national anthem.

Jackie Robinson grew up not far from Dodger Stadium I suppose if it had existed during the time when he lived in Pasadena.

I rewound but still couldn't understand what was being chanted. Was it Barry (rule violation)? Didn't sound like it to me but I could be wrong.

69 Even better than Lucy Liu? Al Gore had a pretty funny one, too, as did the whole Star Trek cast. But yeah, Aaron may have been the most surprising cameo, too.

(Oops, I meant 65 above.)

Wow seeing Randy Wolf wearing #42 is almost as weird as seeing him not wearing #43 anymore.

And who wanted to see Jose Cruz Jr. again? Any early predictions on what he'll do tonight back in LA?

Okay, I'm gonna enjoy watching the game now. Here's hoping Pierre can have a Jackie-like day, do his hero proud. Talk to y'all in a bit.

For how much do you think those 42 jerseys will sell? If you buy a Dodgers version, do you know by whom it was worn?

76
Freudian slip...?

75- Barry sucks.

Cruz hits lefties pretty good.

The Padres have two Gileses and two Camerons and none of the four have their first initial on their uniform.

Last night I was sitting in the Lodge behind the plate. The guy in the front row (about 5 in front of me) kept standing up and waving to get on TV. In the LODGE.
What is it with people? Why is it so exciting for adults to think they might be glimpsed on television?

84- right after they rejiggered the primo seats behind the plate, I stayed home to watch Opening Day, and the person directly behind the catcher was talking on a cell phone and waving THE ENTIRE GAME.

absolutely not a 6 violation, either. It was the most aggravating baseball viewing experience of my life. I have no idea the outcome o the game, butI'll never forget the woman.

yay! There's the Pete Reiser mention I asked for last night!

terrible

That was messed up

Oh Russell.

Wow so Jeff Kent really IS wearing #42 in tribute to Mariano Rivera!

That first inning was highly defined.

What happened?

The crowd still hasn't all made it in. And I think this game likely had a lot of people arriving early.

um, ok

92- Catcher interference. Phantom catcher interference.

THERE! Someone wearing a hat under their helmet...told you Bob!

Meanwhile is anyone else really freaked out by how tall CYoung is?? I think his legs are each bigger than Pierre!

Furcal's bat nicked the catcher's mitt on his swing. Catcher's interference.

I wonder if a hitter has ever intentionally tried to hit the catcher's mit with the bat. Pierre would be a good candidate for such a gambit.

98
I'm sure someone has tried. Pete Rose has the record for most times reaching on CI in a career.

One on, Juan out.

Does Pierre know that you don't have to swing at a pitch if it's not over the plate...?

Pierre should have tried to hit the catcher's mitt.

Maury Wills had a 73% Stolen Base percentage.

Did they really just play "Low Rider" for Nomar? Wow, how cool is he?

....was Bud Black particularly good or bad at holding runners on, does anybody of his vintage remember?

You gotta wear that pitch, Luis.

why is LuGo bunting?

Dude, you wanna stop when you get to the little white square thingy.

yes
no
terrible

Someone remind LuGo that he's almost 40 and shouldnt be trying to turn singles into doubles.

Randy Wolf, there's your lead

A selfish young kid would have tried to stretch that single into a double

In Black's career, runners stole 129 bases and were caught 94 times.

Black was a lefty.

I guess he still is a lefty.

Vin is so right

Juan Pierre's like so cool.

Black was a lefty. I guess he still is a lefty.

There's probably a Dave Dravecky joke in there somewhere...

I don't think you could have come written a worse start to Juan Pierre's Dodger career.

Dios Mio.

He went for that ball with two hands.

I think I jinxed this game by watching the Bad News Bears just prior.

oh come on, Pierre!

sidebar- has Cruz Jr always sported those fantastic stirrups?

Why Dave Winfield...?

119 Those stirrups are off the charts.

Dave Winfield has a book coming out about how he can save baseball.

From something.

But Winfield is pushing the book hard.

"Urbane and entertaining, this is a trenchant, thought-provoking, and uplifting analysis of what can be done -- by the baseball giants and by all who play and love the game -- to save America's national pastime for you, your kids, and your community."

http://tinyurl.com/372gtj

Joe Morgan still hasn't grasped that we EXPECT him to be an expert, so there's no reason for his I-told-you-so style commentary.

On the error my Martin, just as he was about to release the ball an umpire crossed between him and 2nd base. I wondered if that cause him to throw high.

My cable just went out.

123
I won't be reviewing Winfield's book for the Griddle. But I plan on reviewing Sheffield's.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the tribute, and I am always impressed with Rachel Robinson. However, I hadn't anticipated I would be exposed to Joe Morgan, and we usually lose in his presence.
It must be aging, and I am really disturbed by it, but I think I am beginning to accept Joe and maybe....... Ohhh lord. Maybe you should shoot me now..

I just figured out why they play that Dr. Dre song when Andre Eithier comes up. Took me a year or so.

heh, single through the 3.5 hole

Wilson Valdez is a magic man.

I love hearing Mrs. Robinson cheer in the booth.

Valdez is carving out Betemit's seat on the bench.

Valdez is carving out Betemit's seat on the bench

And LaRoche's seat in AAA-Durham

Jon Miller is completely out of his element right now. He sounds incredibly dense.

Furcal was the first Dodger to reach on catcher's interference since July 29, 2005 when Milton Bradley did so against Mike Mahoney of the Cardinals.

The Dodgers won the game 7-5.

Two others Dodgers reached on catcher's interference in 2005: Jason Grabowski and Olmedo Saenz.

Rafael Furcal had never reached on CI before.

Randy Wolf doesn't get cheated

I would really love to hear Vin and Rachel Robinson in the booth for a game.

I would hate to check over at Ducksnorts and see if they are angry at Rachel Robinson rooting for the Dodgers from the booth.

Agree--138

They were both there.
Jon Miller is out of his element.

Juan gets on base...!

My girlfriend asked, if they could make a uniform for everyone just for this one game with the number 42, why can't they make a batting helmet that fits Juan Pierre without him having to wear a hat under it?

I thought it was an excellent question.

Can we just have Mrs. Robinson do every Sunday Night game?

and how about that slide by Wolfie to break up that double play??

142
Could be that Pierre has just played with the cap under his helmet for most of his life and he used to it.

When I was at UCLA yesterday looking for a UCLA baseball cap that would fit my big casaba melon of a head, but I had to really dig around for one. I think every student at UCLA must have a Juan Pierre head.

I have this feeling that if Pierre makes it to third in this game, he'll try to steal home.

It is truly a pleasure to listen to her.

145
I hope there's a lefty pitching if Pierre tries that.

And the only lefty on the Padres is David Wells.

Turns out that the Ducksnorts crowd doesn't like Vin Scully at all.

That could be a sticking point in any future bilateral talks between Dodger Thoughts and Ducksnorts.

we should have blown this game wide open.

Rachel Robinson mentioned her foundation's website and from helping her in the library, I can tell you that she can handle a computer.

"And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson..."

149

Chris Young was just obliging ESPN to allow more time for the Rachel Robinson interview.

I've been off the planet for a few years, and baseball rediscovers the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
-fp

Mrs. Robinson...what a classy lady!

Gee, someone ought to tape a bunch of interviews with her, Hank Aron, and all the other greats of the game who are still around and have them on hand from MLB when there's a rain delay. Nothing like hearing from the living legends of the game about history of the game to make you appreciate what a great game baseball is even more.

I'm becoming a Lugo fan.

this game is going to last until 10PM.

Brian Giles fields that one like the guy who hit it.

136 Amazing stats quickly. They are better than your quips---but not much:o)

Chris Young doesn't impress me much

Miller did a good job, it's not easy to talk to old people. Keep in mind he had to follow the game as well.

first base belongs to russ.

159
Cut and paste that comment for tomorrow when the Dodgers go to Arizona.

I nearly knocked my computer over, helping the umpire make that call.

okay no more fooling around, time to knock young out of the game.

I've said it before, Ethier's song rules.

this base stealing reminds of dodgers 2005 with phillips.

Andre!!

Last year the Dodgers got just 16 hits in 30 innings in 5 games against Chris Young and Young didn't get a win against the Dodgers.

Great for Ethier.

166

That was an historic night in the annals of DT.

I learned that Marty is, in fact, a real person.

Good thing the moron fan reaching for that ball had Pierresque fielding skills. Way to try and rob your own team of a run, there, guy.

Im going to LOL when valdez steals here.

That was the Ryan Freel backtobacktobacktobacktobacktoback game.

is randy wolf holding chris youngs loved ones hostages? wow....

Hank Aaron XXIV: OK, try it again, but keep your eye off the ball.
Leela: You mean, keep your eye on the ball.
Hank Aaron XXIV: Hey lady, which one of us is in the Hall of Fame.
Fry: Psst! You're holding the bat upside-down.

Base stealers were 41 for 45 against Young last year.

Another walk for Wolf. Black finally recognizes the Grabowski principle.

Didn't Lowe walk twice on Friday?

#9 spot> any spot pierre bats

well, at least so far.

Wow, is there anything better than putting a major whooping on Peavy?

The Dodgers have really been running wild this year. I know Grits likes to be aggressive on the basepaths, but I don't think the Dodgers were running nearly this much last season.

178- Yes, he did. Maybe this is some kind of DePo black magic theory. . .

Chris Young wisely walks the pitcher, again.

He almost hit it out of the infield...

argh, another AB, another GO.

Interesting play by AGon to go home there, the Pads need as much help as they can get at this point though.

Do they ask Mr. Aaron about Bonds?

In April 2006, the Dodgers stole 27 times on 31 attempts. That was their most stealthy month.

180- for some reason I thought we were facing Peavy. I am really out of it right now - I'm operating on 2 hours of sleep.

184
Aaron doesn't want to talk about Bonds unless you employ Jack Bauer like interrogation tactics.

Angel Hernandez should get partial credit for that K. Strike two was a gift.

Joe Morgan is on his A game on baseball observations. Judging from his interview with Hank Aaron

"Hank, you know who I am right?"

"I know all about you agent Bauer"

"Then you know what I'm going to do to you"

There's no love for Moses Fleetwood Walker tonight.

And nor is there any for Welday Walker.

Even at 5-1 I don't have a comfort level with Wolf out there.

not scoring any of the runners when you have bases loaded and nobody out is shameful. i know we're up and all, which makes me happy, but still. on principle, you've gotta at LEAST get a sac fly in or something.

Bob, look who's at the stadium...

you've gotta at LEAST get a sac fly in or something

Pierre hit what very well could have been an RBI-grounder. Can't blame him for the throw home.

193 - I was about to say the same thing

I respect Frank Robinson. I also hate him.

It's a complicated relationship.

Wolf's getting hit pretty hard but only 2 runs so far.

Wolf put that one on a tee for Bowen.

Let's do some math here. We're in crisis mode because only 8% of MLB players are "African-American".

42% of MLB players were born outside of America. So blacks constitute 14% of American born MLB players. Blacks represent 12% of the general US population.

There's a crisis here, but it's a crisis of logic. If this where we need to look for racism then I think it's time to call an end to the civil rights movement. Also, why is it a bad thing if more blacks are dreaming of careers outside of the slim chance of becomming a professional athlete?

... Does anyone else look at Randy Wolf's pitches, and think that he looks like a thinner David Wells out there?

I'd like to outlaw Nicholas Cage movies.

The contrast between the class of Hank Aaron and the crass of Barry Bonds is great.

Very great.

200 - It is interesting that there is some nativism involved in making this distinction.

What I wonder is, why aren't there more African-American broadcasters?

197- I guess I can say the same thing about Jeff Kent.

I respect what he has accomplished as a baseball player (statistically), but I can't stand him (for obvious reasons).

204
Because then you end up with guys like Joe Morgan and Rod Allen.

Tony Gwynn is pretty good.

204- It is indeed. Just like Barack Obama isn't considered African-American by some because his father was actually born in Africa. (Sorry for the political elements, but it does relate to the night).

Whoever said this game is going to go till 10:00. Its pushing 10:30 on the east coast and its the fourth inning. I liked the ceremony but what happened. I did see that Nomar got upset when a ball that almost scuffed his shoes was called strike 2. Maybe the ump is trying to speed thing up, but why against the D's.

Even Kent is stealing, although a good throw and he'd be out easy.

Do we have some kind of scouting report in Bowen? That's five steals now.

Jeff Kent is a gritty grinder. Look at his uniform!

Coming into this year, Rob Bowen had thrown out 2 of 24 runners trying to steal against him.

210 - Maybe Juan Pierre works hard on his day off.

I don't know.

So they miss Piazza's defense?

Its still the fourth inning. Could this be why less American youth are into baseball?

Peter Gammons talking about the Red Sox...No....Shocking.

Perhaps in honor of Jackie Robinson, the UCLA baseball team beat USC 12-9 today to sweep a weekend series.

UCLA had not swept a 3-game series from USC in 20 years.

I love hearing the old timers talk about the game and how they think it should be played.

Loved hearing Henry Aaron speak. Such a classy guy.

that Don Newcombe story abut the Phillies was spectacular.

218- Me too. It's too bad that it all has to be crammed in to one game, but it's pretty great.

And how about that Don Newcombe story! That was something I had never heard, in all my reading about the Brooklyn boys. (Who was the hitter, I heard Dell and assumed it was Dell Crandal.)

219

judging from Don Newcombe's old pics, He's one dude I wouldn't wanna mess with.He's got that "Rumble YOUNG MAN RUMBLE" look about him.

Del Ennis.

Del Ennis, I think.

I think the stealing was also a result of having both Bowen and Chris Young in there in the early part of the game - notoriously terrible at holding runners on.

Yeah, I've been touched by listening to the old guys, despite my initial impatience at wanting to hear talk of the game in progress. Pretty silly on my part when you think about it. (It's not like on MNF when the co-star of Alias appears in the booth during the game to plug their show.)

They must have done something right - even cranky Yankees fans think so:
(from BronxBanter)
"582. Vandelay Industries
I live in LA now, and generally don't have anything nice to say about the Dodgers, their ownership, or their fans. But they did a pretty good job honoring Jackie tonight."

I feel so proud! {sniff}

221 - My cable is still out. :(

What's the deal with this no hit middle infielder? LOL..

He's swinging away 3-1 in his 1st AB and he's singled in his last 2 AB's.

222- I got that sense just hearing him talk. He just has a fire in his voice.

The Phillies manager at the time was, to put it kindly, a jerk: Ben Champman.

Chapman had played briefly on the Dodgers in 1944 and 1945.

In fact, couldn't we have replaced Joe Morgan with Hank Aaron, or would that be too much to ask for?

well, cable's back on

Poor Monkey; just in time to hear Joe Morgan.

225- for my part, I'd just as soon here the stories as hear "fly ball to center, caught by Pierre" while I'm watching a fly ball to centerget caught by Pierre.

229- I know that name. I indeed have read not so nice things

Well, that was a major league pop-up at least.

Still not out of the infield....

223,224 You guys are incredable, and you help an aging guy who loves the D's.
I still think the slow stretching out of this game and Joe Morgan could sink us, but I'm enjoying it anyway.

232 - and Frank Robinson too!

How can anyone say Frank Robinson is under-rated??

Back in the day when my buddies and I played a lot of RBI Baseball on Nintendo, we had a rule that a ball hit by a pitcher that went past the infield dirt on the fly would count as a homerun (with the defense letting it drop).

I propose a similar rule be instituted for Juan Pierre.

Ben Champan was the first batter ever in an All-Star Game.

He managed some atrocious Phillies team and was out of a job midway through the 1948 season.

Two years later, Eddie Sawyer got the Phillies to the World Series.

I like Robinson's purple tie. Bob must certainly appreciate the stunning color of his new HDTV.

Wolf is looking better and better every inning.

He really seems to consistently be "off" in the first inning or so and then clamps down, each game.

I apologize if a link to this was already up:

http://tinyurl.com/2mqodl

Wasn't Newcombe's first year '49?

halftime at Staples Center.

Lakers-55
Sonics-46

Kobe with 22.

Crud. I just jinxed the heck out of that, didn't I?

Sigh. Jose Cruz, {{mumble}}

239

Really? I never found the need to add even more offense to that game (my favorite ever).

Would a Werth/Cruz platoon in CF have been so bad?

244
Newcombe was ROY in 1949.

Oh well, at least he sent the Russian Kouzmanoff into orbit and he got through 6.

245

Bob wants you to add an apostrophe to your handle.

251
Maybe it's about a guy named Kingmans.

Would a Choi/Saenz platoon at 1st been so bad? LOL..

Hindsight and Monday Morning Quarterbacking are always 20/20. LOL..

245

Frank Robinson & his season tickets will be happy of the news. :o)

252

Wouldn't that still require an apostrophe, after the s?

Why is Martin swinging at the 1st pitch?

Martin drives in Kent from second? These announcers won't shut up so I can only guess.

Nope. Kent didn't double. That would be scored E-gameday.

Nomar and Kent both made outs, Gonzalez singled, and Martin flew out to left.

255
I'm trying not to be as doctrinaire tonight.

I thought Jon asked "tskent" to leave.

Placing bets on when Ken Arneson gives it an IP ban...

Regarding Ben Chapman, here's part of a column by Bruce Lowitt in the St. Petersburg Times on Dec. 31, 1999. The year is 1947.

"On April 22 the Dodgers played Philadelphia. Led by manager Ben Chapman, whose racist views were common knowledge, hate poured out of the Phillies dugout, Robinson wrote in his autobiography, I Never Had It Made:
" 'Hey, n-----, why don't you go back to the cotton field where you belong?' 'They're waiting for you in the jungles, black boy!' 'Hey, snowflake, which one of those white boys' wives are you dating tonight?' 'Go back to the bushes!'
"For three days they spewed their venom, adding Robinson's teammates to their taunts. Finally, second baseman Eddie Stanky rushed the Phillies dugout and shouted: 'Listen, you yellow-bellied cowards, why don't you yell at someone who can answer back?'
"Rickey said Chapman's abuse 'unified 30 men, not one of whom was willing to sit by and see someone kick around a man who had his hands tied behind his back. Chapman made Jackie a real member of the Dodgers.' "

259

Of course, you have HDTV. Life has new meaning for you now.

Jeff Kent doubled up the gap.

Now there's a freak injury.

ooh. I cringed watching that. Please be okay.

Whats the old cliche? You may see something you've never seen before?

For those not watching, it was a ball boy who took a ball in the face and dropped like a boxer who had been knocked out.

263 - Oh. Well, make that, um E-258.

Man, good thing my stomach has been hardened the past year watching UFC.

Don't let the gravely injured guy get in the way of an anecdote about Pierre's high socks.

Did it hit near his mouth or his forehead?

OUCH!

looks like a big welt under that ballboys left eye...

267 - That's not just for those not watching, but also for those who blinked.

Those guys on the foul lines have some baseball background in high school most of the time, so it's not like he's out there for decoration.

That was a freak hop.

244. Wasn't Newcombe's first year '49?

Yes, but he was actually at Ebbetts Field for that first game as he was on his way to his minor league assignment in New Hampshire.

256 Why are you still here after the ugly things you said to Jon over at Inside the Dodgers? You have a lot of gall to post after that crap.

Jon, feel free to delete this post, and I apologize, but I can't believe this person. What kind of a mentality goes to so much trouble to taunt/hound/stalk someone he disagrees with in that manner? Then he tries to pass himself off as just another poster after ripping everyone here elsewhere. I just don't get it.

watching Beimel, I get the feeling that he chose his delivery to enhance his pickoff move, rather than the other way around (and also from hearing him talk about the move during the pregame the other day)

You've got to Love Joey Beimel. Where did Neddie find him? Why was he even invited to camp last year? Whatever the reason I'm glad he's here. The man is nails.

I LOVE THIS PEN!!

Oohhh. That was an insulting remark by Joe! But its pushing towards 11:30 and we are in the seventh inning. If you allow Joe to hold forth for ~5 hours in your booth,you may deserve to lose.

Does anybody think Miller and Morgan will let Dave Winfield root for the Padres like Mrs. Robinso...oh. in a studio. nevermind.

Dave Winfield almost made "quantity" his third "C."

Perhaps he thinks in Spanish.

Nice of Stuart Scott to take a night off from perpetuating every possible negative stereotype people like Jackie Robinson fought so hard to eliminate.

BOOYA.

279 Beimel's move is a balk move. He's been called for it before but it looks like he's getting away with it tonight. The reason is because he lifts his leg, stops, then looks toward the plate, then comes to first. If he is going to throw to first, he cannot make any move toward the plate, nor can he come to a stop.

That's a fun rule.

Angel Hernandez is the umpiest ump there ever was.

Angel Hernandez has a strike zone shaped like an amoeba.

You just know Angel Hernandez is waiting for someone to bat out of turn. He wants to call all the weird rules tonight.

285- I prefer "the umpiest ump that ever umped."

Pierre's 0-5, 8LOB, 1 error nite is almost over (provided there's no extra innings).

Angel Hernandez is the umpiest ump there ever was.

Eric Gregg would like to have a word with you. Or he would, if he was, you know, alive and stuff.

289 - It should be. The bull's in next, should be followed by Saito.

That sounded almost like Winfield thinks all five-tool players are black players.

Maybe that's what he thinks, but it is not true.

Spike Lee rocked the #42 Brooklyn jersey before it was hip.

282 Well, a creative use of the vernacular is not necessarily connected to dealing drugs and shooting folks...

Of course, if there were a stereotype that African-Americans are repetitive and annoying, I'd agree with you 100%--

You had me with Cito Gaston. Then you had to play the Dusty Baker card.

I see now why Pierre led the league in outs last year.

294 I'll invoke rule 5 on myself here...

Do fans really go to a game to see someone manage, Joe Morgan?

294 Apparently, the only group stereotyped to be repetitive and annoying are Dodger Thoughts commenters. :)

294 I agree with your overall point, but not as it applies to Stuart Scott.

I wonder what Ralph Wiley and Arthur Ashe would think about his schtick. I'm guessing they wouldn't like it very much, but I could be wrong.

End of 3rd Q:

Lakers-81
Sonics-74

Kobe with 40.

On the corner of Powell and Post streets in downtown SF, there is a US Mailbox painted to look like R2-D2.

It even has a special slot on its front, so you can look like Princess Leia transmitting secret Death Star blueprints as you send a letter to your favorite pen pal or inmate.

Gameday has Brazoban coming in for Beimel, and then Broxton coming in for Brazoban. Someone goofed...

295- As a Rockies follower, I can't cozy to any argument that invokes Don Baylor as a good manager.

I wonder how the Dodgers' front office/PR folks/etc feel about the number of empty seats showing up behind home plate several innings before a high profile game on national TV is over?

305- even if they were full, I don't think the national perception of Dodger fans as 3rd-7th would change.

Pierre also led the league in base hits last season. He'll be just fine. It Schmidt I'm worried about. F|The Furcal/Pierre combo atthe top of thelineup is going to create havoc all season. It's going to be fun to watch.

We're on our way to 8-4 and Pierre has been scrubby. Just wait till he gets hot. These are great times to be a Dodger fan. This is fun. We'll be in the postseson for the rest of this decade. Rest assured.

It looks like the field level seats in each corner didn't sell out or people didn't show up.

ToyCannon sits in a similar area, but in the loge.

I give ESPN a lot of grief, but they have done a good job with the lead up to this. Unfortunately, it also means that Joe Morgan is right about something.

This is what we call a quandry.

293

In "DO THE RIGHT THING"

300 fair enough..(see second half of 294)

Have the Dodgers ever went on a shorter road trip than the one coming up?

2-games in Arizona
2-games in Colorado
Then back home against the Pirates.

Really? 2 games in each town? That's weird.

Why is Martin swinging 1-0?

Now Saito-San can't start the inning and get the save.

I strongly admire Jackie Robinson for all that he did, and I also am proud to be a Dodger fan based on the fact that he played for us. With that in mind- I would've loved to hear a little more about Branch Rickey's influence. Mrs. Robinson touched on it.

Looks like one day off wasn't enough for Pierre. I suggest he take a week off, at least.

313. The entire NL schedule is set up that way.

309 If Joe Morgan only talked about what he understood, he'd be one of the best announcers out there--

306 True, but it looks particularly glaring tonight, given the pomp and circumstance of the game. The parking situation, or perception thereof, can't help with the keeping of butts in seats 'til the end, either.

Russell continues his "Hit While ESPN Blathers About Something Else" tear tonight.

bring in billingsley, he needs some work.

3.5!

313--Yep. I've never seen that.
Ethier's having a good game.

there you go, Andre!

Yay Andre!

3.5 goes big fly

Ok Mr. Gammnons, step down off of the soapbox please.

NICE homer by #42!!!

A no doubt about it shot from Andre.

Ethier to Vegas? I don't think so.

In 1997, the Dodgers had a four game trip to Oakland and Seattle, then went home to play the Angels twice, then went back on the road for four games at San Francisco.

Welcome back, Andre Ethier.

Brady Clark, eat your heart out.

im really happy for Andre. I bet a ton of weight is off his shoulders now.

Either quietly getting his confidence back

ANDRE!

I'm so glad to see Ethier tear it up tonight.

man, I love Ethier's swing.

8-4.

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!

First night to comment of 2007, and I'll leave with this - Joe Morgan is without question, the worst broadcaster in baseball. That's all.

Ethier belongs in the show.

I wonder how hard it is to implement duckbans into the Toaster software. Those are always fun.

I think I'll take a Dodger blow out win vs. a save chance for Saito, myself.

Going into the series with the Dodgers the Padres bullpen had not given up a run in 28.1 IP. So far they have given up 9 runs in 13.2 Innings against the Dodgers, for an ERA of 5.93.

5 thru 8 hitters are 11-19 tonight, 8 RBI's.

duckbans?

315
I would've too. I wonder how much of Rickey's actions were about his vision for the game and how much of his actions were about exploring an untapped source of baseball talent.

I imagine it was a little of both.

Is Saito really needed in this situation?

ESPN gets its Yankee-Red Sox matchup next Sunday, so they can honor the true spirit of the network and resume ignoring the West Coast.

Is Billingsley ever going to pitch again, or does he have to wait for Schmidt to go on the DL?

343 Instead of straight up banning someone, everyone else sees their posts come up as "quack quack quack". The person in question is driven slowly insane as no one responds to their posts.

344
Wait until I plow through the new Rickey bio that's out.

345
He was warmed up and ready to go, so you might as well use him.

282 - I like Stuart Scott. I'm just sorry that apparently he isn't allowed to be himself, without that self being categorized as either being good or bad for his people.

Still tough being a black man.

347 Yes, and yes.

aybar's been suspended by the braves for not telling anyone where he's been.

344- based solely on what I've read about Rickey/ Robinson- Rickey worked really hard to find the perfect person to break the color line. I'm under the impression that the decision that it was as much a societal decision as it was about baseball.

346
ESPN went even one further today. They completely ignored that the Padres were playing.

350 No need to be sorry. It's okay.

352
No wonder Ned got rid of him.

352 Meaning, he hasn't showed up for games?

It's official.

We're on pace for 108-54. Keep truckin' boys. Destination - home field for the playoffs 2007.

348--that would be awesome.

Ollie Brown was the first African-American to play for the Padres. Nate Colbert came in to the first game later.

I'm really beginning to believe we might beat the curse of Joe Morgan and a four hour game in the same night. We win!!

That's a good idea. I will put that on my short reading list.

well, at least we know saito's arm still works.

good game!

I'm really beginning to believe we might beat the curse of Joe Morgan and a four hour game in the same night. We win!!

354 No kidding. That might be the most ignored team I've ever seen during a baseball broadcast.

348 Ah. I figured it wasn't something to do with mallardophobia, but wanted to make sure.

Hey, we won. Bowen had a night he'd like to forget. Nice, go into Arizona in a battle for 1st place (in the relatively meaningless early part of the season).

2 of 3 is great

Cool, first time I have seen Saito pitch and that is a nifty windup he has...and a SWEET strike 3 to end it!!

It's been fun fellow DTers, what a terrific way to spend Jackie Robinson Day! :)

344 - Watch the movie that Bob T (i think?) gave us the other day. It tells you pretty definitively...that it was a little of both.

That was worth repeating!

Meaning, he hasn't showed up for games?

well, hes been on the DL since the start of the season. So who knows. I think it means hes not going to be a brave much longer.

It's true, I almost felt bad for any padres fans watching - they were definitely an afterthought.

357--Aybar's been on the DL with a sprained hand since March 23rd. Maybe he went AWOL from his rehab.

the aybar story is up on primer. Although its kind of vague.

He missed rehab sessions. " 'I didn't even know he was still on the team,' [said] third baseman Chipper Jones."

http://tinyurl.com/2npeyb

The Dodgers went 32-13 in the starts Betemit made after we traded for him last season, including a 14-0 run out of the Betty gate.

[resume shunning]

Quack Quack Quack

I shouldn't do this, but it kills me . Who left 8 men on base?

I am displeased with Milton Bradley wearing 42.

FJM has weighed in on Marlon Wayans.

378--It wasnt Kobe Bryant.
He was playing for the Lakers, and scoring 48 points on 17-23 shooting to set up Lakers-Suns II.

[379] he didn't even play tonight. what's the big problem?

If not for the Dbacks and the Braves the Dodgers would have the best record in baseball.

Pierre to 8th Watch.

It'll be interesting to see how long it takes Grady to move Pierre to the 8th spot in the lineup. I'm picking May 1st (only because I'm already on record that it's unlikely to happen in April. :-) )

No problem getting out of the parking lot tonight. Of couse I left at top of the 8th. (school night). A little slow when we got there 50 mins early. Our friends who shoed up at game time said it was still tough.

Great game. Great pre-game. I don't know if TV picked it up but there was a pretty good chorus of "Barry Sucks" when Hammerin Hank was introduced. Bob, you'll be glad to know it seemed like no cared about Frank Robinson but I think that had more to do with being introduced with Aaron. Rachel Robinson is still all there and gave a very nice speech. Ernie Banks sitting nearby. He is getting old but he is old. Vin got a huge ovation. Bud Sileg always looks like he accidently swigged some buttermilk. Could have done without Jesse Jackson appearence but I'll leave it at that so as to not violate Rule 5.

Great effort by the team. Russal Martin is so much fun to watch the guy is all hustle. A 2 out pop-up and he is jamming around the bases full tilt. If Valdez keeps this up (whcih he won't) will Betemit ever play again.

Two questions:

1. Was Valdez double really a HR? It looked like it was out.

2. What happened to the ball boy. I was sitting on the first base line and could'nt see it. It looked like the ball was not moving very fast or hard to injure him.

381

You'd rather be in the lottery, though, right?

383 That's one of the funniest things I've read in awhile. If not for a better record, the Dodgers would have the best record.

Marty, be more like the Amish.

387 You speak duck? I think that makes you the heir of Hufflepuff.

1. It hit the tippy top corner of the padded wall and came back down. Close. Very, very close, but not a home run.

2. The ball took a crazy hop and hit him in the face. He went down, like Bob said, like a knocked out boxer.

How can Ohio's Amish Country have an official website.

Doesn't that violate the whole Amish thing?

388 I don't have the facial hair :-)

387- It's impeccable logic, though. If things were different, they really wouldn't be the same.

385 Valdez's ball hit off the corner of the padding at the very top of the wall. In a stadium with a yellow line at the top of the wall, that would have been a HR. At DS, it's gotta go all the way over.

386--Yes.
My Oden to the Lakers, Bynum/Lamar/2008 1st for Garnett has gone up in smoke.

We'll have a shunning party sometime.

I just realized The Office reference. Awesome.

395

How would they have gotten Oden with such a small number of lottery balls?

397

Keep up, old man. :-)

David Stern can work wonders with that machine.

400

I'm sure he's cool with Oden going to Boston.

I'm not sure if this was brought up in another thread, but the elephant in the room that ESPN went to such lengths to avoid mentioning -- was the complete absence of Barry Bonds in this discussion of Jackie and African-Americans in baseball. I mean, they mentioned the home run record when Aaron was in the booth, but here you have all these promos with C.C. Sabathia, Spike Lee, Juan Pierre, etc... and Barry's nowhere in sight.

So, was Barry asked and declined, or did MLB just completely avoid him?

Didn't Valdez play a bit of CF during spring training? Hmmm......

ESPN should make Sunday night baseball old timer's night. Get an old guy from each team in the booth for half an inning. It'd give the pre-game Baseball Tonight crew something to do, too, instead of being a race to the dumbest prediction.

382- well that's a little better. I just feel like Bradley has disrespected the game with his antics (I'm speaking of in the past- I haven't been paying attention to his A's tenure), and while his desire to honor JR is probably legit, I simply don't like him harkening back to th history of a game he doesn't seem to appreciate.

Honestly, as one who coordinates three blogs for my job, I can attest to what a pain it can be to babysit it, but I also know the magic of IP banning (usually done in my case for frequent comment-spammers). I'm particularly surprised Josh hasn't had someone do that more aggressively on the ItD blog.

But, quack, quack, quack.

I'm glad the Lakers won. I was sort of rooting, too, for the Warriors to make the final playoff spot over the Clippers, just so I don't have to hear bay area hoops fans whine all through the off-season again, but...

Okay, I'm gonna settle down with a nice relaxing DVD before bed - Last King of Scotland. Cheers, all. See you 'virtually from Arizona.'

399 I'm trying to concentrate on poker!

I should add that after bagging on the Dodger Stadium atmosphere earlier today, the crowd was really well behaved and pleasant.

402- espn.com has an interesting take from Jeff Pearlman.

Mr. Steiner and Mr. Monday had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mr. McCourt during the 7th inning . McCourt said he was more of a steward of the Dodgers than an actual owner. He then muttered something about the fans being the real owners of the team. Well ain't that special.

Okay, I left Culver City area about 3:15 and after getting off the freeway in downtown, I was in the parking lot off the Sunset entrance and in the stadium by 4:00 (time from hitting Sunset to getting into the seat, about 10 minutes.)

First go through the food line (prior to the pre-game events, 3 minutes) Second go through (5th inning, about a whole inning).

Getting out the stadium, again left at the top of the ninth, so it took about 5-6 minutes from walking from the gate to the car and in about 3 minutes was out on Sunset.

Again, I have not tried getting their within 30-45 minutes before the game nor have sat in my seat for the last out so I can't tell you how that compares but so far, for me, no problem.

Crowd was pretty respectful about the event, I thought it was well done, Hank Aaron got a well-deserved ovation (Bob, much better than Frank Robinson) Biggest ovation, I will give a tie to Rachel Robinson and Vin Scully.

Anthem and God Bless America were performed very well by Jennifer Hudson and Nicole Robinson (a UCLA student and Robison scholarship awardee).

Atmostphere was great but again, I think I am in a more family area (Infield reserve, behind home plate).

Finally, a nice little rivalry with the Friars from the Dodger side appears to be happening so it should make the rest of the games pretty entertaining.

did anyone else notice the intro music for saito tonight?

(i aplogize if its been mentioned... i just got home from the game... skimmed the thread and no one seems to have said anything... maybe it wasn't evident from the espn broadcast.)

they played deep purple's "smoke on the water" as saito came in, while doegervision showed clips of him pitching interspersed with live footage of people in the crowd dancing.

it was haunting and excellent. great closer music.

[BTW - from the preferred lot next to the 3rd base side reserved section, it took less than a half hour to get home to the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, using 110S-->10W. Not bad.]

312 Joey to answer your question, the Dodgers have a 3 game road trip to San Diego (4/27-4/29/2007), then they have a 3 game home stand against the D-Backs (4/30-5/2/07).

I am sure that this was done to complete the first go around through the division but it did create some short trips and homestands.

384 - Danys Baez got his last save of the year last year on May 17, so I'm gonna say May 20, when he got his first hold, as the target date for Pierre in the 8.

Prepare yourself for parking lot report #328053...

Got to the park at around 4:30 and hardly had to wait to get my parking pass from the Academy exit. For some reason I was given a preferred parking pass and had no problem getting to Lot I. After the game, it took no time at all to leave the actual parking lot, but it took about 20 minutes to finally get to the freeway. There were only about half of the original crowd left by the end of the game so there weren't a ton of cars to deal with. Overall it was a pleasant experience, but tonight wasn't the best gauge.

I heard the question asked several times tonight, "Why is it important to reverse the trend in declining numbers of black players?" None of the commentators gave a compelling answer to me. Most of the answers had something to do with 'economic opportunity', 'heritage', and 'representation'; all important issues, but ones that baseball is no longer the best vehicle for. Especially economic opportunity, where the chances of making a lasting career are very slim.
The reason it is important to encourage black players back into baseball today is that same reason it was important in 1947...to fight prejudices. Each year millions of fans attend baseball games, follow their favorite players, and develop heroes. There is no greater barrier to prejudice than having a hero of another race. Really, the goal shouldn't be simply encouraging more black athletes, but increasing diversity of all races. And fortunately we live in an era when we are able to see an integration of black, white, Asian, and Latino players. That diversity should continue to be encouraged.
Sometimes we tend to think that fighting prejudices has an end goal; when the country is color-blind, the fight is over. Unfortunately, it appears that fear of those different from ourselves is a primal trait of humans. Without perpetual suppression, humanity's fears can rise again. However, it is a trait we can make impotent, with constant vigilance. Baseball provides a medium whereby our children can see players of all races working together, as a team, helping, motivating, and competing with each other in a positive and constructive way.

416 -- African-Americans are represented in baseball. There will always be African-Americans in the majors regardless of any extraordinary efforts that are made to increase their numbers. I disagree with the premise that there has to be some kind of minimum level of African-American presence in the game for people to be satisfied. If blacks in the US are a relatively small presence in the majors today because so many of them prefer football and basketball to baseball, that is something very different than barriers being created by prejudice to exclude African-American athletes. Freedom of choice is a good thing, even when it means some people choosing other sports over baseball.

And of course, there are OTHER directions we could go in talking about why African-Americans are a smaller presence in the majors today, but those directions, when explored, inevitably result in irrational cries of "racism," so it might be best not to go there, even though it would be very interesting to "go there."

Well said, Canuck.

I have a feeling I'm about to get LAT'd, but here goes:

That was a pretty fantastic baseball game. I believe in all the sabermetric stuff about the value of stolen bases, but man, they sure are fun to watch. Russell Martin has done at least one really impressive thing in every game he's played this year. Every single one.

Also, I read over the threads and I haven't seen any mention of this: Is it just m -- er, let me rephrase that -- did anyone else see Derek Lowe in the dugout last night wearing a big captain's "C" on the front of his jersey? I'm pretty sure that had never been there before. Two questions:

1. When exactly did this happen?
2. Derek Friggin' Lowe? Are you kidding me?

The real captain of the Dodgers wears #55 on his back.

Henson says: "But the three African American players in the game — Pierre, Mike Cameron and Anderson — had dismal performances."

I guess that is technically correct, since Montreal is in Canada.

420 -- I have seen Martin called an "African-American" in print before, and I wasn't sure if it was because the writer did not know Martin is a Canadian and made an erroneous assumption, or because that person, like many, thought that "African-American" is a synonym for "black."

Anyway, how black does somebody have to be to be black? Martin, like Derek Jeter, is mixed race, with one black parent and one white parent.

417 - I'm not advocating an arbitrary minimum level of presence. The post is about encouraging diversity and the positive impact that has on people.
No rational person would state today that barriers due to prejudice are causing the decline in black players. Encouraging diversity isn't about rectifying some perceived wrong; it's about baseball setting an ongoing good example of well-integrated society. This is a mantle baseball chose to take up 60 years ago and continues to live up to that responsibility. The reasons for the decline are under debate, but certainly stating a 'preference' for football/basketball ignores an underlying causation. Some suspect football and basketball offer more directly accessible routes to the pro leagues. Others look at the larger number of college scholarships for football and basketball. Both points are attractive to less affluent athletes, many of whom are black.
Baseball should always look to investigate what barriers to entry exist for all people and minimize the effect of those barriers. It betters the sport, by being able to draw from the largest pool of talent, and it betters society by setting a rich example of diversity and integration. This is a cause baseball took for itself, as we were reminded today. It's one of the reasons the sport is so great. Baseball simply for the sake of baseball would be a very cheap thing, indeed.

422 -- I'm sorry, but I very much believe in "baseball for the sake of baseball." The game is not a means to a social, political, or ideological end.

And I don't accept your point about a disparity in college scholarships compared for baseball compared to those available for basketball and football, because unlike turning pro in football and basketball, in baseball one can turn pro right out of high school. The college requirement is a "barrier" that the NFL and NBA impose that baseball does not, and STILL black youths flock to football and basketball over baseball, even the ones who don't meet the academic requirements to attend four-year colleges.

Great night of baseball. A fun night was had by all. Nights like these is what will keep me coming out even though I did freeze my butt because I left my coat in the car and my hair in the past.

378
Another Pierre-related stat worth mentioning:
Randy Wolf drew more walks in last night's game than Pierre has drawn this entire season.

Another thing that deserves mention is the drawing by Brett Tomko. It was really something. I'm no art expert but I thought it was pretty good. However, I wonder if some pictures he draws are really good and then all of the sudden he can't find the canvas.

Never mind the joke didn't work.

As I settled into the game the banter between the fans around me started up so when Valdez came up they started singing his praises. I replied he was a good field, no hit, journeyman who had no power and before I finished no power he had jacked it off the top of the fence. 2nd time up I changed it to good field, no hit journeyman and he smacked another hit. 3rd time I was down to good field, no hit and he banged out another hit. I then changed the mantra for the final ab and said he was the next Melvin Mora and he proceeded to strike out. It was great to be the laughing stock of the game.

I saw a newspaper photo (perhaps in Jackie's autobiography) taken at some point after the incident with Ben Chapman, where the two of them were shaking hands. I recall that somehow Branch Rickey convinced Jackie that it was the "thing to do". Jackie certainly didn't look happy in that picture.

LAT, it's as if you're asking for it ...

Sorry, my memory wasn't as good as I thought it was. I found the picture in the book "Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy" by Jules Tygiel where Jackie and Chapman are not shaking hands, but Jackie is posing with Chapman (who is holding a bat with Jackie's hand on the barrel end of it) after Chapman was reprimanded by Commissioner Chandler. I was right about the fact that Jackie didn't look happy.

423 - The barrier that going 'pro' out of high school presents is that 'pro' means spending years in the minor leagues making low wages and getting zero ROI if you don't make the majors.
The scholarship system provides athletes with a marketable education that gives a healthy ROI regardless of whether a player makes 'pro'.
And the high likelyhood, for players in both systems, is that sports will not become your career. So getting an education along the way is far more attractive.