August 29, 1945
Yesterday was the best day of my life. I was called in by Branch Rickey. I thought that he wanted me to play for a Negro team sponsored by the Brooklyn Dodgers, little did I know that he wanted me to play on the Dodgers! After he told me this I was, of course, excited. But after Mr. Rickey told me this he spent three hours telling me what my future would be like. He acted as the hostile teammate, the abusive opponent, the insulting fan, and the obstinate hotel clerk. It was extremely hard for me to just stand there and take it, I was holding my hands behind my back in a chain-like grip. After a while I said, “Mr. Rickey, do you want a ballplayer who’s afraid to fight back?” His response was, “I want a player with the guts not to fight back.” Then it all became clear to me, Mr. Rickey wants me to say I have another cheek. |
September 13, 1945
I am really getting tired of the racism in this country. Today I was kicked of two planes, just so a white couple could sit in our seats. Rae, my wife, and I eventually got on a Greyhound bus. We sat in the seats with the button that you push so the seat can recline. The bus driver then told us to move to the back to the reserved seats- reserved for Negroes- These seats were straight backed with to button to push. I don’t understand why people would hate me for the sole reason because of the color of my skin. |
May 13, 1949
Yesterday my fellow teammate and good friend, Pee Wee Reese, walked over to me and put his arm around me, during a game on national television. He did this because the Braves were shouting insults at us. The Braves were continually shouting at me because I was black and at Pee Wee because he was my friend. Me and Pee Wee have become close friends in just this short time. I would never have expected a white person to come up to me and put his arm around me as a friend. |
April 28, 1955
This year I have only played about two-thirds of the games. My batting average is down. I’m doing a poor job in comparison to past seasons. The newspapers are referring to me as a has-been. I need to bring up my game. |
June 17, 1955
After our five times going to the World Series we are finally champions. In all of my nine seasons this is our first win in a World Series. We were down six to four in the eighth inning and I’m not sure if I’ll be playing next year. There were two men out, and I suddenly decided to shake things up. I know that it wasn’t the best baseball strategy to steal home with our team two runs behind, but I took off, and I made it. After I stole home my team found new heart. We fought back against our old rivals, the powerful “Bronx Bombers,” we won the game when Sandy Amoros saved the game with a running catch of Yogi Berra’s fly all down the left field line. It is one of the greatest thrills of my life to finally be a World Series winner. |