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So I just finished re-reading the classic Roger Kahn book, "The Boys Of Summer". I hadn't read it in like 20 years. It's, of course, an amazing book...filled with great stories of brilliant candor. I'd assume that anyone who frequents these History of BB pages has read it. However, one point really stuck out to me during my re-read...it's the part about Jackie Robinson being traded to the Giants after the 1956 season. With the recent celebration of Jackie Robinson Day around MLB, the story of Jackie's reaction to the trade was wrongly retold over and over again...as it has for many years now. What I'm referring to is the glorifying talking point of, "Rather than be traded to the hated rival NY Giants, Jackie chose to retire instead." That is, in fact...a lie.
While I'm sure Jackie didn't exactly have a lot of love for the Giants, saying that he didn't play for them because of the rivalry is a candy-coated baseball myth. He was already considering retirement and had co-authored a story for Look Magazie titled, "Why I'm Quitting Baseball". He was paid quite well for this story. After it came put, the Giants started to renegotiate a playing contract for Jackie which at first was $40,000 for one season followed by $20,000 for each of the next two seasons as a scout. So, Jackie was actually seriously considering NOT retiring when....Buzzy Bavasi (Dodgers front office) unleashed this quote on the press: "Robinson will play. I know the guy and he likes money. Now that Look's paid him, he'll play so he can collect from the Giants too." Because of that, Jackie realized that if he did play, he would look like a money-hungry phony and he would be attacked in the press for it. So....he did retire after all....but NOT because of any sort of hatred for the rival Giants. Jackie's amazing legacy certainly doesn't need this sort of myth to add to it. So, every time I heard an announcer finish his/her "sum-up" of Jackie's playing career with the false "wouldn't play for hated Giants" reference, it really irked me.
I've attached a picture that really sums up my point. It was taken on December 13, 1956. It shows Jackie's initial reaction on being traded to the Giants. Of course, I would guess that somebody in the press brought that Giants pennant to Jackie's house...but I don't see any "I'd never play for the Giants" kind of attitude coming from Jackie. Far from it.
Feel free to comment...
While I'm sure Jackie didn't exactly have a lot of love for the Giants, saying that he didn't play for them because of the rivalry is a candy-coated baseball myth. He was already considering retirement and had co-authored a story for Look Magazie titled, "Why I'm Quitting Baseball". He was paid quite well for this story. After it came put, the Giants started to renegotiate a playing contract for Jackie which at first was $40,000 for one season followed by $20,000 for each of the next two seasons as a scout. So, Jackie was actually seriously considering NOT retiring when....Buzzy Bavasi (Dodgers front office) unleashed this quote on the press: "Robinson will play. I know the guy and he likes money. Now that Look's paid him, he'll play so he can collect from the Giants too." Because of that, Jackie realized that if he did play, he would look like a money-hungry phony and he would be attacked in the press for it. So....he did retire after all....but NOT because of any sort of hatred for the rival Giants. Jackie's amazing legacy certainly doesn't need this sort of myth to add to it. So, every time I heard an announcer finish his/her "sum-up" of Jackie's playing career with the false "wouldn't play for hated Giants" reference, it really irked me.
I've attached a picture that really sums up my point. It was taken on December 13, 1956. It shows Jackie's initial reaction on being traded to the Giants. Of course, I would guess that somebody in the press brought that Giants pennant to Jackie's house...but I don't see any "I'd never play for the Giants" kind of attitude coming from Jackie. Far from it.
Feel free to comment...
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