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Jackie Robinson Made History In Jersey City 75 Years Ago: The First was Also a Rematch
April 17 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT
When Jackie Robinson made history in Jersey City 75 years ago as the first African American to play on an integrated team in the modern history of professional baseball, it was at a sold out stadium of cheering fans. This game that signaled the start of a new era in professional sports came at a time of profound transitions in the history of Jersey City – the first opening day game in several years as the tradition had been interrupted by WWII, it would also be the final appearance of Jersey City Mayor and Democratic Party boss Frank Hague throwing out the first ball as he so loved to do.
For all the beginnings and endings coming together at Roosevelt Stadium on April 18, 1946, it was not the first time that Robinson and the Montreal Royals had played the Jersey Giants. Robinson’s powerful performance amongst all the hoopla, pomp and circumstance that Mayor Hague could command came after a month of spring training in Florida where Robinson’s season with the Royals got off to a much more difficult start.
Sports writer Jim Hague joins us to look back at this moment in history.
