Jackie Robinson: A Life Remembered

Rating:
Summary: Essential for learning about Mr. Robinson
Review: An interesting approach to an autobiography, "Jackie Robinson A Life Remembered" is a crisply written bio by one of the best baseball writers ever, Maury Allen.
What makes this interesting for me, was the personal recollections from his teammates and contemporaries, interspersed with linking passages by Allen.
It flows surprisingly well, and reads lightning quick, nearly as quick as the subject's speed from first to second.
One thing I came away with, is how heroic Mr. Robinson really is. He truly is a central figure in American civil rights; he might be the single most important figure, more so than MLK.
Jack Rooselvelt Robinson was a well-educated (at UCLA), impossibly skilled athlete who entered the national pastime when very little else held the attention of our country as a whole.
Baseball, for all intents and purposes, was the only sport there was. Football, baseketball, hockey...all in their early stages. Baseball reflected the USA.
And in the post-WWII era, our country was in pretty good shape overall. Life was good.
Then came this one man who challenged the conventional wisdom of the time, and by sheer force of will, changed the way millions of people thought about millions of other people.
And not specifically because he was black.
It was because he was amazing.
Rookie of the Year at age 28. He only played relatively few years, not making the trip out to L.A. from Brooklyn. He died prematurely, ravaged by diabetic complications.
He changed the world in a year. People came to see the "black Dodger". That lasted a year. Then people came to see "Jackie Robinson". Race not an issue anymore.
He was the last (the only) player who would get caught in a rundown...a "pickle" as we used to say as kids...and the outcome would actually be in question. Normally, the runner gets tagged out. Every time. A foregone conclusion.
With Jackie, with his stops and starts, head fakes and body lunges, it was a fair fight so to speak. You'd wonder who really had the advantage.
This guy stole HOME from time to time. Home. The single most electrifying stunt possible in a baseball game. The guy tried to beat THE PITCH home. And sometimes he did!
His life needs to be part of every child's basic history education.
He's a hero.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for learning about Mr. Robinson
Review: An interesting approach to an autobiography, "Jackie Robinson A Life Remembered" is a crisply written bio by one of the best baseball writers ever, Maury Allen.
What makes this interesting for me, was the personal recollections from his teammates and contemporaries, interspersed with linking passages by Allen.
It flows surprisingly well, and reads lightning quick, nearly as quick as the subject's speed from first to second.
One thing I came away with, is how heroic Mr. Robinson really is. He truly is a central figure in American civil rights; he might be the single most important figure, more so than MLK.
Jack Rooselvelt Robinson was a well-educated (at UCLA), impossibly skilled athlete who entered the national pastime when very little else held the attention of our country as a whole.
Baseball, for all intents and purposes, was the only sport there was. Football, baseketball, hockey...all in their early stages. Baseball reflected the USA.
And in the post-WWII era, our country was in pretty good shape overall. Life was good.
Then came this one man who challenged the conventional wisdom of the time, and by sheer force of will, changed the way millions of people thought about millions of other people.
And not specifically because he was black.
It was because he was amazing.
Rookie of the Year at age 28. He only played relatively few years, not making the trip out to L.A. from Brooklyn. He died prematurely, ravaged by diabetic complications.
He changed the world in a year. People came to see the "black Dodger". That lasted a year. Then people came to see "Jackie Robinson". Race not an issue anymore.
He was the last (the only) player who would get caught in a rundown...a "pickle" as we used to say as kids...and the outcome would actually be in question. Normally, the runner gets tagged out. Every time. A foregone conclusion.
With Jackie, with his stops and starts, head fakes and body lunges, it was a fair fight so to speak. You'd wonder who really had the advantage.
This guy stole HOME from time to time. Home. The single most electrifying stunt possible in a baseball game. The guy tried to beat THE PITCH home. And sometimes he did!
His life needs to be part of every child's basic history education.
He's a hero.