Maureen Cavanaugh (Guest Host):
Try to imagine the Chicago Bulls without Michael Jordan. Try to imagine the San Diego Chargers without Ladanian Tomlinson. Try to imagine the Padres without Tony Gwynn. It seems almost impossible to imagine the modern world of sports without some of its biggest stars. But what may seem unfathomable now, was a reality just a few decades ago. That is until Jackie Robinson came along. On April 15, 1947, Jack Roosevelt Robinson became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. While his stats from that day are unimpressive, he went 0-3 at the plate in his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the impact Robinson had on sports and race relations in America is immeasurable. Jackie Robinson not only blazed the trail for all African-American athletes that have followed him, but also for civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. This Sunday marks the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, a feat that will be celebrated throughout the league.
Guest
- Cal Fussman, author of After Jackie: Pride, Prejudice, and Baseball's Forgotten Heroes .
