Wed Sep 21, 2016 11:19 pm
In fairness to MLB. the league did integrate a lot quicker than other sectors of American society.
In 1947 Harry Truman integrated the military. Both public and military polls showed up to and more than 90% of people thought it was a bad idea. Harry Truman did it anyway. That feat took political balls the likes of which we have not since seen.
After World War Two where whites and blacks died helping the British and the Soviet Army liberate Europe, "black" soldiers came home and increasingly wondered why they were treated like heroes in Europe and second class citizens here at home. This was the impetus for Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson, and Larry Doby to break the so called, "Color barrier".
It is hysterical to me that people were adamant that Roger Maris' single season homerun record come with an asterisks, when the record that deserved the asterisks was Babe Ruth's record. Ruth never faced a single non white pitcher in meaningful competition.... You can bellyache that it was not Ruth's fault," boo hoo poor Ruth", how about fighting for your country, and coming home and living with Jim Crow laws for another couple decades, as a second class citizen. Excuse me, but phuck Babe Ruth!