By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
It’s the most famous photo of Jackie Robinson with the Montreal Royals.
Pictured in an over-sized uniform about to enter the Brooklyn Dodgers’ clubhouse, the baseball pioneer looks young and happy as he stops to acknowledge a group of reporters.
With the words “KEEP OUT” boldly emblazoned on the clubhouse door, this photo is often used as a symbolic shot.
“This is the door that (Dodgers GM Branch) Rickey has finally opened,” reads a caption of a photo of Robinson outside the clubhouse door in the Pittsburgh Courier on April 19, 1947. “The ‘keep out’ sign doesn’t mean Jackie, or any other colored player who can make the grade. The great American pastime has really become American at last.”
Over the past 20 years, whenever I’ve stumbled across this popular photo, I’ve always assumed it was taken prior to Robinson’s 1946 season in Montreal. As most of you know, prior to breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier, Robinson was signed by Rickey and starred at second base for the Royals, a Dodgers’ farm team, in 1946.
Rickey stationed Robinson in Montreal to ease the trailblazing prospect into integrated baseball. Playing his home games in a city with a reputation for racial tolerance provided Robinson with relative tranquility for half the schedule. And the electrifying infielder excelled on the field in Canada, leading the International League in batting average, walks, runs and stolen bases, and spurring the Royals to their first Junior World Series title.
But my long-held assumptions about this photo were incorrect. I was fortunate to be part of a contingent from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame that trekked to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for an extensive tour on November 30. During that visit, senior curator, Tom Shieber, took us through the Jackie Robinson exhibit, where he explained the origins of this famous Robinson photo.
This picture was not, in fact, snapped in 1946, but on April 11, 1947. On April 10, 1947, a bulletin was delivered to reporters during the fifth inning of an exhibition game between the Royals and Dodgers at Ebbets Field that read: “The Brooklyn Dodgers today purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from the Montreal Royals.” There was no press conference, just this short statement to announce this historic news. In the exhibition game that day, Robinson played first base for the Royals, who actually defeated the Dodgers 4-3.
A caption accompanying two photos of Robinson in the Chicago Defender on April 19, 1947 reveals that Robinson debuted at first base for the Dodgers in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees at Ebbets Field on April 11. This famous photo was staged prior to that contest. According to the Chicago Defender photo caption, before that game Robinson clad in his Royals uniform stopped to wave to photographers before entering the Dodgers’ clubhouse, only to emerge a few minutes later in a Dodgers uniform, where he, again, stopped to allow photographers to take pictures.
For the record, Robinson knocked in three runs in the Dodgers’ 14-6 win over the Yankees in his first appearance with the big league club.
So thanks to Tom Shieber, I know now the origins of one of the most famous photos in Canadian baseball history.
That was an amazing tour of Cooperstown. All the knowledge we learned. Thank you Cooperstown. Thanks for explaining the photo Kevin. It’s a story everyone should know.
Thanks, Scott. Thanks again for inviting me along on the trip.
Very interesting.
Thanks for the comment. I thought it was very interesting. It is one of my favourite photos and for years, I assumed it was from 1946.
Interesting photo. I’ve never seen it before. Perhaps The Dodger could have had the sign on the door re-worded or removed once Jackie Robinson joined the team to remove any misunderstanding. Perhaps something like “Team personnel only.” On another note I finally finished “Sparky and Me” by Dan Ewald, Longtime PR Director of the Tigers and personal friend of Sparky. That book is loaded with information which would clear up many questions about the Tigers, Sparky Cincinnati and the Tigers and some key players and events. It was a joy to read.
Thanks for the comment, Dave. I met Dan Ewald when Sparky was being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. I picked up that book in Chapter’s and just about bought it. I think I’ll buy it the next time I’m at Chapter’s.
Reblogged this on Northeastender 2.0 and commented:
Jackie Robinson opened the door but there was still much hard lifting to do. Gates Brown of the Detroit Tigers recalled that the late great announcer Ernie Harwell often had him over to his house in Lakeland for dinner during Spring Training. Blacks weren’t allowed in the restaurants there. Ron Leflore played for the Tigers in the 1970’s, 80’s. I recall the racial taunts he put up with from his book. Some day this whole story should be told. Many ball players of colour, Caribbean, Latin players have stories to tell.