By William Haupt III | The Center Square contributor
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred – Photo by LM
Otero | AP file photo
– Branch Rickey
Considered America's National Pastime, baseball has
helped to reshape this nation. From the Civil War to civil rights and beyond,
the game of baseball has always reflected the positive aspects of American
life. It has set national trends, influenced our culture and improved our
economies. It has inspired movements, instilled pride and united us during
wars. It has healed our social wounds and built American cities. Most
importantly, it broke the color barrier for integrating professional sports.
In 1942, former baseball player Branch Rickey became
president of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey was only an average player, but he
was the greatest asset to the game he loved. He devoted his life to protecting
and improving America’s pastime. He did more than anyone to preserve the ethics
and principles of an institution that made America a unique and insightful
nation. In the baseball world, he set the bar for all future executives for
promoting good will within the baseball community.
Rickey was a man of character with deeply religious
convictions. He sowed the seeds of baseball much the same as Johnny Appleseed
introduced apple trees to large parts of America.
He was all American and often attacked communism and
socialism. He was fearlessly intelligent, well read, and thoughtful. His
favorite book was the Bible, which he often quoted chapter and verse.
“Baseball is slow to change and accept new ideas.
Sometimes it takes years.”
– Branch Rickey
Rickey, who had fought in the trenches during World War I
with Black Americans, was eager to get them into Major League Baseball. In
1945, he founded a league for Black players to scout ballplayers. He was
determined to find the best Black ballplayer to convince owners to desegregate
baseball. He said, ''I may not be able to end racism in every sport, but I can
do it here in baseball.''
In October 1945, he signed Jackie Robinson, a fellow GI
and graduate of UCLA. After a stint with the Dodgers' minor league team in
Montreal, Robinson made his debut in Major League Baseball in 1947. This bold
move broke the league's color barrier. Robinson and Rickey formed a lasting
bond. They worked the rest of their careers on improving the lives of all Black
Americans.
Photo:
Wesley Branch Rickey (R) (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965), an American
baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major
League Baseball's color barrier by signing Black player Jackie Robinson (L).
Getty Images
Rickey's determination to desegregate Major League
Baseball was born out of a combination of his religious beliefs and patriotism.
He felt segregation violated the Christian faith and the GIs that had fought
for America and world freedom should never be treated like second class
citizens. Branch Rickey not only ended segregation in baseball, but he opened
the door to end it in all major sports.
“I needed to win, so I promoted Jackie Robinson for his
skills, just not his race.”
– Branch Rickey
Rickey was Mr. Baseball, but he did more for professional
sports than just open the door for Black Americans in the major leagues.
Shortly after Jackie Robinson stole his first base, fellow UCLA grad Kenny
Washington became the first Black player to sign with an NFL franchise in 1947.
Baseball ended segregation in professional sports, yet
Commissioner Rob Manfred moved the All-Star game this year from Atlanta to
Colorado because of Georgia’s new voting laws. This was a slap in the face of
all those who worked to desegregate professional sports. Politics and baseball
don’t mix! Manfred had no right to bow to progressives and let leftist politics
influence an American tradition.
President Joe Biden claims Georgia’s election reform bill
is “Jim Crow in a suit and tie.” He falsely claims it prohibits family members
from dropping off absentee ballots, restricts early voting, and limits voting
hours. And the media and corporate America are helping to perpetrate this hoax.
Yet every change in Georgia’s election law was made simply to prevent more
problems like there were last election.
“This election bill is nothing more than a dog whistle to
disenfranchise minority voters.”
– Joe Biden
Matthew Weil, of the Bipartisan Policy Center, claims
this helps voters. It allows voters to obtain ballots without an excuse. Voters
can also vote on Sunday. Counties must have drop boxes. It extended early
voting three additional days. Voters can request a ballot 11 weeks in advance.
The only change, which most Americans support, is you must show “any form of ID”,
even a utility bill, to vote.
Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University
of California, said that many of the things this bill does is in line with what
other states already do. It is confusing why the reworking of voting rights
laws for the right reason is illegal, particularly when it is not as strict as
many other states. He added, “There is little data that shows increasing ID
requirements affects participation at all.”
Manfred claims he made the decision to move the All-Star
game from Atlanta to Colorado under pressure from the Black Players Alliance,
an organization of black players formed after the death of George Floyd. They
also pressured Coke, Delta Airlines and American Express to support them.
The All-Star Game would have been a huge opportunity for
Georgia’s large minority-owned small business community. They’re now left
paying the price for leftist politics. These identity groups hurt the people
this would have helped by perpetrating a false narrative with the help of the
media.
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the
extent of your own ignorance.”
– Thomas Sowell
Plato told us in 400 BC, “Don’t confuse me with facts.”
Apparently, facts are not a strong suit for progressive politicians, baseball
identity groups, and corporate America. If the left does not like a policy,
they rally everyone in their camp to go into attack mode and cancel out any
group, policy or individual they disagree with. This is dangerous and
antithetical to the values of our great republic.
Not so long ago, American baseball was a great equalizer.
It provided a place for political activists of all stripes and colors,
professionals, blue color workers, the wealthy and the poor to forget their
differences, and enjoy a game together. They’d “catch” a bag of peanuts from a
wandering vendor and share them. They only fought each other over who could
catch and retrieve a prized foul ball.
You can’t escape woke politics today, especially in
America’s once great pastime, baseball. The baseball stadium was once our
“national neutral zone.” Now it’s been violated by woke partisan politics. It
is shameful that America’s Pastime is not only being influenced by identity
groups and progressives but it is perpetrating false political narratives
supported by American companies.
Rickey was recognized by the NAACP and numerous Civil
Rights groups as the man who desegregated professional sports. Rickey and
Jackie Robinson worked together for years to end segregation in major leagues
and amateur sports. It is a shame that the very sport and the very two men that
spent their lives fighting segregation are disgraced by progressive politicians
and identity groups at an event honoring them and America's Pastime.
“Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if
He asks me why, I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't
think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.”
– Branch Rickey
