Danielle Solzman
Bestselling author Jonathan Eig revisited Jackie Robinson’s pivotal first season in his 2006 biography, Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season. In shattering the color barrier, Robinson ended up transforming the game forever.
April 15, 1947, now stands as one of the most historic opening days in baseball history. When Robinson suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers and took the field at Ebbets Field, he became the first Black ballplayer in Major League Baseball during the twentieth century. America was still recovering from World War II, where the Allied Powers and democracy prevailed. But with the war over, the demand for justice was only just beginning on home soil. It didn’t start with Rosa Parks. Nor did it start with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson would help pave the way for the Civil Rights movement.
There’s much to enjoy about Opening Day. It’s not just a page-turner. Eig goes behind the myths of Robinson’s career and challenges some familiar legends, even though six decades had passed before publishing the book in 2007. We’re now approaching almost eighty years since Robinson made history, which is hard to believe. Eig was fortunate to interview a number of players who played with or against Robinson.
Among the myths and legends that Eig seeks to challenge in Opening Day:
- Were the St. Louis Cardinals planning to boycott their first game against the Brooklyn Dodgers?
- Was Pee Wee Reese truly Robinson’s closest ally on the Dodgers?
- Was Dixie Walker his fiercest adversary?
- How did Robinson manage the immense pressure of being the league’s only Black player while performing at an elite level?
Behind the scenes, Dodgers president, general manager, and co-owner Branch Rickey made moves to benefit Robinson. If players were rebellious, they were gone, provided he could find the right team and trade offer. Everything came together for the 1947 Dodgers as they defied the odds to win the National League pennant. They ultimately faced the mighty New York Yankees in a seven-game World Series that remains one of the sport’s greatest contests.
Robinson batted .297, scored 125 runs, stole 29 bases, and won MLB’s inaugural Rookie of the Year award. His breaking of the barrier paved the way for Cleveland to sign Larry Doby. Robinson may have been the first to make the Dodgers, but Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella were coming up in their system.
As much as Eig focuses on Robinson’s time on the field in Opening Day, he also spends plenty of time writing about the off-field moments and the racism Robinson experienced. Robinson faced racism during his first season, including hotels that refused to let him stay there while the white Dodgers players and staff had no issues.
While sportswriters made a big deal about his race early in the season, once it became clear he was just another ballplayer, they didn’t make much of a fuss. That didn’t change the other racism he faced. Black fans were warned to be on their best behavior, because one wrong move could create problems down the line.
Eig’s book draws on interviews with surviving players, journalists, and eyewitnesses, along with then-newly uncovered archival material. In a conversation with him, he said he wished he “could take another crack” at the book. One of his regrets was not taking the time to get more from Rachel Robinson, including letters. Even so, Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season remains a compelling read and thrilling page-turner, telling the definitive story of Robinson’s first season and painting a vivid portrait of a ballplayer who symbolized the promise of integration and helped ignite the modern civil-rights era.
Simon & Schuster released Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season on March 20, 2007.
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