On this important day, it’s important to recognize and reflect on the historic accomplishments of baseball hero Jackie Robinson. We turned to Scott Simon’s Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball for another account of the challenges experienced by Robinson as he paved the way for African Americans to compete in Major League Baseball.

Simon writes a familiar tale, but his ability to weave history, social activism and baseball together seamlessly says something about how Robinson changed more than the game. Though a baseball hero, Robinson’s influence extends well beyond the diamond. His quiet but determined journey led the way years before the civil rights movement took full force.

Robinson, an All Star athlete, first attempted to break racial boundaries in the U.S. military. When he sat next to a fellow officer’s wife on a bus in Fort Hood he was told to move to the back of the bus and away from the woman. He promptly faced a court- martial. With public pressure mounting, Robinson was acquitted from charges and “honorably relieved from active duty.”

The athletic Robinson then had an opportunity to try out for the Boston Red Sox. Though his try-out was promising, Robinson was dismissed for his race.

“For decades, Red Sox fans have laughingly rationalized their losses with the thought that they were an unwarranted curse, inflicted for selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. But I’ve come to see [Boston’s] hardships after 1945 as a blight they brought down themselves. Boston barred the door to Jackie Robinson in the spring of 1945, when the team and the city had an exceptional, indispensable change to advance themselves and enrich the country.”

Simon continues by describing Jackie’s ascent into the Dodgers organization, chiefly through the support and encouragement of Branch Rickey. Robinson was moved by Rickey’s plea for him to play for the Dodgers. In their first meeting, Rickey explained that he wanted Robinson to rise above the racial challenges and not engage his critics or let their words and actions affect his play.

Throughout his career, Jackie, true to his word, played the game with grace and unquestionable character. He faced well documented challenges of all kinds. His family couldn’t catch a plane to his first spring training. He was forced to stay in separate hotels in many cities. He endured hate notes and death threats on him and his family in city after city.

When he stepped onto the baseball field, he faced these challenges alone. When the Dodgers played in Philadelphia under then manager Ben Chapman, the racial abuse heightened. The manager, Simon writes, encouraged his team to heckle and harass Robinson verbally. In a later series, the Phillies dugout lined up their bats like machine guns and made loud ticking noises to simulate Robinson’s execution. In Chicago, Cubs shortstop Len Merullo kicked Robinson in his right thigh. Later in the season, Cardinals players Joe Medwick, Enos Slaughter and Joe Garagiola all took spike shots at Robinson.

Additionally, he had to avoid being hit at the plate. An opposing player told a reporter that Robinson could almost always count on the first pitch “being right under his nostrils.” Teams quickly learned that it wasn’t wise to give Robinson first base. His dance around the base paths drove pitchers crazy and always changed the complexion of the game.

Time and again, Jackie collected his anger and controlled his emotions. He quietly broke the racial barrier hit after hit, stolen base after stolen base. Without a grand agenda, he changed the game he loved and became an inspiration to young African Americans around the country.

Simon’s book chronicles the rise of Jackie Robinson and his experiences throughout the 1947 season, the year he broke the racial barrier in baseball. While the stories are familiar, Simon’s ability to weave anecdotes with historical and political developments makes for a concise but enjoyable summary of Jackie’s life and legacy.

Purchase Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball or Listen to author Scott Simon discuss the book.

Harvard Boys: A Father and Son’s Adventures Playing Minor League Baseball. John Wolff and Rick Wolff. New York, Skyhorse Publishing, 2007.

As father and son, John and Rick Wolff both experienced the highs and lows of minor league baseball. Harvard Boys chronicles John’s baseball career from Harvard to Arizona to Bristol to Massachusetts to Kalamazoo through one summer of baseball. John recalls his experiences in diary form while his father, Rick, adds insight from his own baseball experiences along the way.

The story is a fascinating look into the life of minor leaguers and prospects. It begins with spring training in the dry Arizona heat. John invites us into his day-to-day life on and off the field. A Harvard grad who instead wanted to live out his baseball dream, John struggled to prove himself throughout the summer to the White Sox organization. More than just providing game re-caps, the book also describes the competition, emotional obstacles, personal challenges and financial problems that toughen ballplayers in the minor league system.

The book is enjoyable because it is genuine. John watches superstar prospects accelerate much faster than he can. He struggles to prove to his coaches, and to himself that he belongs. At each turning point, John picks up the pieces and moves on to find a new pro ball opportunity.

His determination is refreshing and serves as a wonderful reminder at how great the differences can be between minor and major league ball. While our Washington Nationals are treated to spreads of healthy food and stays in the nicest hotels, John’s always looking for a free meal and trying to find cheap sources of air conditioning and transportation.

Along the way, John’s father Rick, who played minor league ball in the Tigers organization and worked for the Indians, offers encouragement, insight and memories as he responds to John’s experiences. For as much as the game may change from year to year, readers begin to understand that many elements will always stay the same.

I really enjoyed Harvard Boys. I found myself quickly engaged and curious about how his summer would unfold — even tossing the book aside in anger for a few days after a frustrating turn of events. Well written and insightful, I often found his stories to be humorous. The book is loaded with the superstar prospects that have quickly and quietly made their mark on baseball. Their cameo experiences are entertaining but not the focus. The story’s biggest accomplishment is bringing fans into the dugout and onto the team bus for a summer. Overall, a nice father-son story full of the ups and downs of minor league baseball in America.

You can purchase the book at your local bookstore.

It may have included a lot of fighting — with other players, with his own players and with mascots, but Tommy Lasorda, one of baseball’s living legends always managed the Dodgers with his own unique style. After brief introductions, the night began with a slideshow of Lasorda’s finest and funniest moments. As Sinatra’s legendary “My Way” brought the snapshots to life, baseball fans in attendance laughed, cried and smiled — eager to share a night with one of baseball’s most colorful figures.

Lasorda packed a crowd into the auditorium at the Department of Interior on Wednesday to share a night of baseball memories. This self-described “ordinary man” answered questions and told stories for over an hour before taking questions from the crowd. Joined by his co-author and LA Times reporter Bill Plaschke, Lasorda, as one could only expect, stole the show — eliciting a standing ovation entrance and exit, and more than a few moments of the kind of audience-wide laughter that could have made the president wonder what kind of wild party was going on a few blocks away.

Much like I Live for This, the new Plaschke/Lasorda book which strings together anecdotes throughout Lasorda’s career, the evening began with a warning from Plaschke that the night would be the most one-sided Q&A in history. He proceeded to prompt Tommy into his classic stories one by one. While most are described in detail in the new book, hearing them right from Lasorda was entertaining and heart-warming.

He began by telling the crowd about his relationship with classic crooner Frank Sinatra. The two became good friends throughout their careers and Sinatra promised to sing the national anthem when Lasorda became the manager of the Dodgers. Sinatra also befriended Lasorda’s mother and gave her VIP treatment at his concert in exchange for a home cooked Italian meal at their family home.

Plaschke then asked Lasorda about his managerial style and noted that he was the first manager to ever hug a player. He also brought the post-game buffet into his office. Lasorda promptly informed us that as a young child, he stared at a can of carnation instant milk. The logo said, “Contented cows give better milk.” He’s maintained the philosophy to this day, believing that happy, comfortable players produce better on the field.

That’s not to say, of course, that Lasorda hasn’t practiced tough love when necessary. He re-lived a classic Jesse Orosco moment that had the crowd roaring with laughter.

He also told one of the book’s best anecdotes, the story of Buster Maynard. Tommy grew up, like most young kids, loving the national pastime and dreaming of a chance to go to a game. When he finally had the chance, he bought a program and asked players for autographs. Maynard pushed Lasorda out of the way. A few years later, as a pitcher, Lasorda heard the PA system announce that Buster Maynard was up to bat. He proceeded to throw at him until a fight broke out. As you might guess, he has a strong opinion about players signing autographs for fans, especially kids.

His proudest moment came as manager of the USA Olympic team in 2000 when his US team battled to beat the always strong Cubans (our very own Jon Rauch among the team’s participants) to win the Gold medal. Lasorda, ever the patriot, launched into his heart-felt plea for Americans to support members of the military, whom he called his true heroes.

He took questions from the crowd ranging from inquires about Ted Williams, Don Sutton, sportsmanship, Sandy Koufax, Vin Scully, Dodger Town at Vero Beach, 7th and 8th inning specialists, the Designated Hitter, Joe Torre, the length of the season, his famous diatribe at Paul Olden and the Philly Phanatic and mascots in general. The night’s most enjoyable moment came when a young Phillies fan began to tell Lasorda that he broke his heart during a playoff series. Lasorda took charge and asked the fan a number of questions to test his recollection of the game. One by one he described Philly mistake after mistake that led to the Dodger win that night, silencing the fan and bringing the crowd to another bout of wild laughter.

All in all, Lasorda told the crowd how blessed he is to have been given the opportunity to do what he loves all his life. “I am an ordinary man…,” he continued to remind those in attendance. But yet, the baseball legend has 2 World Series Championships and a Gold Medal for Team USA in the Olympics. He has dined with presidents, met with corporate leaders, received honorary degrees, spoken to the military academies, and shaped and defined our national pastime. He has lived the dream — his way.

More Tommy Lasorda Links:

Tommy’s World — His Baseball Blog

Lasorda Wine

Tommy’s Official Bio at LA Dodgers.com