Jackie Robinson Foundation

#OnThisDay October 8, 1953--In Birmingham, AL Police Commissioner “Bull” Connor bars the Jackie Robinson Negro All-Stars from playing an exhibition game vs. the Black Biloxi Tigers at the Lee Street Diamond 10 days before the game was scheduled to take place, citing a “a city ordinance that forbids mixed athletic events.” Robinson, who previously toured the country with an all-Black team, had signed notable white players Al Rosen, Ralph Branca, and Gil Hodges to join the interracial All-Stars. After meeting with members of the Birmingham community, Robinson decides to drop the white players from his All-Stars roster and move forward rather than cancel the game, partially because he and the members of the community he met with thought that canceling the game might help Mr. Connor win a bid for Birmingham mayor. Photo: Jackie Robinson All-Stars jacket on display at the Jackie Robinson Museum in NYC. See this piece of history by purchasing tickets via the link in our bio.

Call Me Roberto!” The first Latin American to be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Roberto Clemente was a groundbreaking pioneer in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hailing from Carolina, Puerto Rico, Clemente made his major league debut in 1955 seven years after Jackie Robinson’s historic breakthrough as Major League Baseball’s first Black player with the Brooklyn, Dodgers in 1947. Like Jackie Robinson, Clemente was an outspoken advocate for civil rights inside and outside of Major League Baseball. “My greatest satisfaction comes from helping to erase the old opinion about Latin Americans and Blacks,” said Clemente. Spanish-language sportscaster Luis Mayoral, a close friend of Clemente’s said, “Roberto Clemente was to Latinos what Jackie Robinson was to Black baseball players. He spoke up for Latinos; he was the first one to speak out.” Almost until the end of his 18-year big league career, writers, broadcasters, and others in the baseball industry persisted in referring to Clemente as “Bob” or “Bobby” instead of his given name, attempting to redefine his identity. Even Clemente’s baseball cards listed him as “Bob Clemente,” a practice that continued from 1957-1970. All the while Clemente insisted: “Call Me Roberto!” the title of a new book by author Nathalie Alonso and illustrator, Rudy Gutierrez. The pair will be making a presentation and conducting a conversation about Clemente’s life and their book Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Jackie Robinson Museum One Hudson Square Building at 75 Varick St New York, NY 10013. Link below for tickets. https://ow.ly/oAii50TCmvQ

This Sunday at the Jackie Robinson Museum in NYC; the life and legacy of the great humanitarian and baseball legend Roberto Clemente will be explored in words and beautiful pictures with a meet and greet session and book signing with author Nathalie Alonso and illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. Hope to see you there.

#OnThisDay October 6, 1971–The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the San Francisco Giants, 9-5 in the fourth game and deciding game of the National League Championship Series, advancing to the World Series. In the penultimate season of his 18-year major league career, all with the Pirates, Roberto Clemente is the team’s spiritual leader and on-field captain. The 1971 Pirates are distinguished by being the first team in Major League history to field an all-Black starting lineup on September 1, 1971. The Pirates go on to win the 1971 World Series and Roberto is voted the series MVP. You can learn more about Roberto Clemente’s life and legacy while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special story time and meet-and-greet featuring new children’s book, Call Me Roberto! Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos! Enjoy a family-friendly reading with author Nathalie Alonso and art activities with illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. The pair will conduct a meet and greet at the Jackie Robinson Museum, in NYC on October 13, 2024, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Link below for tickets. https://ow.ly/E9hz50TCmI5

#OnThisDay October 5, 1960–Roberto Clemente’s Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Yankees in Game One of the 1960 World Series. It was Clemente’s first World Series appearance in the sixth season of his major league career with the Pirates, a dramatic seven-game series won by Pittsburgh on Bill Mazeroski’s memorable bottom of the ninth inning blast. Clemente hit .310 in the Series with a team-high nine hits. You can learn more about Roberto Clemente’s life and legacy while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special story time and meet-and-greet featuring new children’s book, Call Me Roberto! Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos! Enjoy a family-friendly reading with author Nathalie Alonso and art activities with illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. The pair will conduct a meet and greet at the Jackie Robinson Museum, in NYC on October 13, 2024, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Link below for tickets. https://ow.ly/oAii50TCmvQ

Looking forward to this session at the museum with Nathalie Alonso and Rudy Gutierrez and Astra Publishing House.

Get Registered and Vote. Voter Registration is available at the Jackie Robinson Museum right up until Election Day on November 5, 2024. THURS - SUN from 11AM - 6PM At the Museum Check your voter status or get registered using the Museum’s new voter registration kiosk in the lobby. We’ll have this resource available during the Museum’s regular hours, now through the November 5 election and beyond. Online Don’t wait! Get inspired by Jackie Robinson’s lifelong commitment to engaged citizenship while you check your voter registration status, register to vote, and set election reminders using the VOTE.org tools on our website.

#OnThisDay October 4, 1946–Jackie Robinson and the Montreal Royals beat the Louisville Colonels to win the Little World Series. In his first season in white professional baseball, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliate Robinson leads the triple-A International League with a .349 batting average and 113 runs scored. Robinson drove in the winning run in Game One of the Little World Series vs. the Louisville Colonels. He went 3-5 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and one RBI in Game Five and hit two singles in the Royals 2-0 series clincher.

Like Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente played for the minor league Montreal Royals before moving up to the big leagues. But’s that’s not where the similarities between the two men end. You can learn more about Roberto Clemente’s life and legacy while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special story time and meet-and-greet featuring new children’s book, Call Me Roberto! Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos! Enjoy a family-friendly reading with author Nathalie Alonso and art activities with illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. “I learned about Roberto’s contributions to social justice in baseball. I came to appreciate how significant this aspect of his legacy is to people in his native Puerto Rico. I felt that this part of his life had been overshadowed by the circumstances of his death and not discussed as much as it should be,” says author, Nathalie Alonoso. https://ow.ly/TtNW50TCmzr

“I represent the common people of America. So I am going to be treated like a human being.” —Roberto Clemente Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special story time and meet-and-greet featuring new children’s book, Call Me Roberto! Roberto Clemente Goes to Bat for Latinos! Link below for tickets. https://ow.ly/ko6150TCl1i Astra Publishing House