Check out this fantastic photograph that is currently available at Heritage Auctions (link here). It features Jackie Robinson, wearing a Montreal Royals uniform, shaking hands with the legendary Honus Wagner prior to the start of an exhibition/barnstorm game in October 1946. Heritage includes a link to a story about the game (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -- "Around Town: Jackie Robinson quietly showed how to integrate one day here in '46"):
The 4 o'clock game pitted a team of major leaguers -- largely Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, second-division clubs -- against "Jackie Robinson's all-stars." The great Honus Wagner, then 72, managed the major leaguers, and a three-paragraph item at the bottom of the page the next day declared: "Robinson Stars As Team Wins."
About 3,000 watched as "Robinson cracked out a single, double and triple and fielded flawlessly at shortstop . . .The Negro star, who starred with Montreal and is the property of the Brooklyn Dodgers, drew praise from his major-league opponents on his fine play."BTW, Jackie's team included several teammates from Montreal -- Marvin Rackley, Al Campanis and John Wright (also a Negro Leaguer). Additionally, Larry Doby, Monte Irvin and Roy Campanella joined his "Jackie Robinson All-Stars" that winter. Below are more links to check out:
- This Day in Dodgers History: In 1948 Leo Durocher, the traitorous manager who jumped ship to the hated NY Giants just ten days prior, shows up in ugly Halloween orange at Ebbets Field for the first time since stabbing Dodger fans in the back. He is not greeting warmly, but he has the last laugh. The Giants win 13-4. In 1950 Dodgers outfielder Jim Russell becomes the first ballplayer in major league history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate during a game for the second time in a career. His record is eventually surpassed by Mickey Mantle in 1956 when he accomplished the feat for a third time. In 1991 Montreal starter Mark Gardner no-hit the Dodgers for nine innings, but eventually lost the game in the tenth. He allowed two singles and reliever Jeff Fassero gave up the winning hit to lose, 1-0. Dodger pitchers Orel Hershiser, Kevin Gross and Jay Howell combine for a two hit shutout. In 1995 the Dodgers signed free agent amateur pitcher Eric Gagne out of Seminole State College. In 2008 the Dodgers received third baseman Casey Blake from the Indians for Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana.
- Happy Birthday, John Butler, Sam Leslie, Hoyt Wilhelm, Glenn Mickens, Jody Reed & Brandon Morrow!
- I'm surprised by this move. As I'm sure you know by now, the Dodgers are calling up Will Smith and sending down Austin Barnes to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Per Mark Polishuk at MLB Trade Rumors:
Smith’s first exposure to Major League pitching saw him hit .269/.345/.654 with three homers in only 29 PA over nine games. As we saw with Barnes himself in 2017, the Dodgers aren’t afraid to turn to a young player late in the season, and if Smith continues to hit, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earns himself regular catching duty come October.Picked 32nd overall in the 2016 draft, Smith was a top-100 prospect in the eyes of both Baseball Prospectus (59th) and Baseball America (95th) prior to the 2019 season. He is already thought to have solid defense, and Smith has also hit .232/.334/.497 with 21 homers over 366 Triple-A plate appearances.
- OMG! Have you heard this story? Via Jason Turbow at Deadspin -- "The Night The Dodgers And Pirates Decided To Hold Their Brawl Off The Field."
This may have explained why the guy who was already the least likely Dodger to abide an opponent’s shenanigans had so little tolerance when Pirates pitcher Pascual Pérez—a 24-year-old only recently recalled from Triple-A—nearly hit Dusty Baker in the first inning, then did hit Bill Russell in the sixth, then four batters later nearly hit Baker again, then actually did hit Baker one pitch after that. Dusty took it in stride and calmly headed toward first base, but on the bench Smith spun into a tizzy. “I’ll see you after the game,” he shouted toward the mound after Pérez struck out Steve Garvey to end the inning. The slender Pérez, 20 pounds lighter than (Reggie) Smith despite being two inches taller, was uncowed. “How about right now?” he responded....
When Pérez pointed toward the grandstand—an obvious invitation to meet out of sight, in the stadium bowels—Smith didn’t hesitate. Each man raced for his dugout stairs, which led to the interior hallway that connected the clubhouses. Players from both teams scrambled to follow, the benches emptying not toward the field but away from it, a reverse brawl, spikes echoing off the concrete floor. Baker, far from the action at first base, sprinted to catch up to the rest of the Dodgers, shoving past Lasorda “like a wild buffalo,” the manager said later.
- This! Per Daniel R. Epstein at Beyond the Boxscore -- "Women in Baseball Week, and one particular four-year-old girl: One example of the importance of women in sports."
Her schema of what it means to be female is constantly growing, but she’s old enough to understand traditional gender roles. She sees that when Daddy watches baseball, all the players are men. She has no concept that baseball is for women and girls, too. I’ve told her this, of course, but until she sees it for herself, it won’t unlock in her mind that this path is open to her.This is Women in Baseball Week. I am not a woman, and I certainly claim no expertise in gender studies. I’m a thick-headed, blundering husband and father like any other, trying to figure it out as I go. However, I’m not quite oblivious enough to be blind to my daughter’s delight when she sees girls and women in new roles in which she did not expect them. I want her to feel that for baseball, too.
- Once a Dodgers, always a Dodger. Tom Koehler, who signed as a free agent but never actually played due to injury, recently shared something cool on Instagram (Hat Tip: Austin Green at Dodger Blue):
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