Branch Rickey: The Man Who Supported Jackie Robinson And The Integration Of Baseball

The 2022 season marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut as a Major League Baseball player. Plenty of people already know Robinson as the first black baseball player to compete for a Major League Baseball team, and over the course of time, several things have been done to commemorate this monumental occasion. This includes former Commissioner Bud Selig’s 1997 declaration that all MLB teams be required to retire Jackie Robinson’s number and that no one is to wear that number ever again. Then, in 2004 MLB decided to implement Jackie Robinson day, which will occur every April 15th to commemorate the day Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Athletes are also required to all wear Robinson’s number 42 on that day. It’s a truly special tribute.

While we take the time to recognize the great athlete that Robinson was, we should not forget a very important man that made all of this possible. That man’s name was Branch Rickey. Rickey was the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943 to 1950. He personally sought out Jackie Robinson as part of his mission to integrate balck athletes into the game of baseball. Though not a popular decision, at the time, Rickey believed that it was the right thing to do. He was an anti-segregationist and believed that baseball needed to set the right example by abolishing rules that prevented black athletes from competing in Major League Baseball.

Prior to accepting the job as General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey was already a respected individual in the baseball community. He played professionally for the Saint Louis Browns (a team that relocated to Baltimore in 1954 and rebranded themselves as the Orioles) from 1905 to 1914. He was also a manager of the Saint Louis Browns from 1913 to 1915. He managed the Saint Louis Cardinals from 1919 to 1925. Rickey was 597-664 in his managerial career and never won the World Series. He then transitioned into a career as a general manager.

Branch Rickey was hired by the Saint Louis Browns to be their general manager in 1913 and was simultaneously their manager through the 1915 season. He returned to that role in 1919 before being hired as the General Manager of the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1919. From 1919 to 1925, Branch Rickey was both the Manager and General Manager of the Saint Louis Cardinals, but in 1926 he was relieved of the role as Manager of the Cardinals and became the full-time GM for the Cardinals. A position he held until 1942. During that time, Rickey developed his own personal farm system to develop players before they joined the Major League team. This was an unpopular move at the time because opposing teams felt that it was an unfair system designed to give the Cardinals an unfair advantage, but other teams would follow his lead, which long-term led to the creation of an organized Minor League system with teams directly affiliated with Major League ball clubs. The Cardinals won 4 World Series titles with Branch Rickey as their General Manager.

Branch Rickey was hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers to be their General Manager in 1942. His first season as GM was 1943. Branch Rickey, who was already known for his innovative thinking by establishing a farm system with the Saint Louis Cardinals, would completely redesign the daily operations of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He encouraged the team to start using batting cages, pitching machines, and batting helmets. He also became the first general manager to introduce a system of statistical metrics that would be used to access player talent, when he hired a full-time statistician to run the first ever department of analytics. Overtime, this system would evolve into computer calculations and modern-day “sabermetrics”. Branch Rickey didn’t stop there, as he decided to make it a mission to integrate black athletes into Major League Baseball.

Branch Rickey was an advocate towards baseball integration, and made it his mission to find the “right man” that would make this dream a reality. Though Rickey had received a vote of approval by the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Front Office, he was still met with severe opposition from key members of the baseball community. Among those opposing his mission was former commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Landis died in 1944, which was three years prior to Jackie Robinson’s MLB debut. Branch Rickey began scouting the Negro League, searching for players that could be brought up to the Majors and be the first black athlete to play Major League Baseball. That’s when he first discovered Jackie Robinson. Robinson was invited to spring training in 1945, and on April 15th 1947, Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Prior to Jackie Robinson making his debut, Branch Rickey cautioned Robinson about the things that would inevitably happen as a result of him taking the field. He told Robinson “I’m looking for a guy that will have the ability to not fight back”. Sure enough, Robinson faced death threats, racial slurs, and having objects thrown at him by fans, but he would take Rickey’s advice to heart.

Jackie Robinson let his performance on the field speak for itself. He won the 1947 MLB Rookie of the Year, and was NL MVP in 1949. Robinson won the World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. He finished his career with 6 All-Star Game selections. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson passed away in 1972 after suffering from a heart attack.

Branch Rickey would continue his baseball career until 1955. He stayed with the Dodgers through 1950, and then became the Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager. A position he held until his retirement in 1955. Rickey passed away in 1965 at the age of 83. He was inducted posthumously into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Changes and additions are going to take place in regards to Jackie Robinson Day and the 75th anniversary celebrations in 2022. On April 15th, players like usual will all be wearing Jackie Robinson’s 42, but this year, all 30 MLB teams will also be wearing the Dodgers blue for their uniform color schemes. There is also going to be a special recognition ceremony for Jackie Robinson during the All-Star week festivities at Dodger Stadium. There is also an expected birthday celebration for Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel who will be turning 100 years-old on July 19.

Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson were a packaged deal. You can not celebrate one without the other. Both men played a key role in the integration of baseball, and they both deserve the same level of appreciation by baseball fans, and the American society at-large.