the

n
o
b
le
experiment
Jackie Robinson
as Told to Alfred Duckett
n 1910 Branch Rickey was a coach for Ohio Wesleyan. The team went
to South Bend, Indiana, for a game. The hotel management registered
the coach and team but refused to assign a room to a black player named
Charley Thomas. In those days college ball had a few black players.
Mr. Rickey took the manager aside and said he would move the entire
team to another hotel unless the black athlete was accepted. The threat
was a bluff because he knew the other hotels also would have refused
accommodations to a black man. While the hotel manager was thinking
about the threat, Mr. Rickey came up with a compromise. He suggested
a cot be put in his own room, which he would share with the unwanted
guest. The hotel manager wasnt happy about the idea, but he gave in. a
Years later Branch Rickey told the story of the misery of that black
player to whom he had given a place to sleep. He remembered that
Thomas couldnt sleep.
He sat on that cot, Mr. Rickey said, and was silent for a long time.
Then he began to cry, tears he couldnt hold back. His whole body shook
with emotion. I sat and watched him, not knowing what to do until he
began tearing at one hand with the otherjust as if he were trying to
scratch the skin off his hands with his fingernails. I was alarmed. I asked
him what he was trying to do to himself.
Its my hands, he sobbed. Theyre black. If only they were white, Id be
as good as anybody then, wouldnt I, Mr. Rickey? If only they were white.
Charley, Mr. Rickey said, the day will come when they wont have
to be white.

ANALYZE VISUALS

10

20

810

unit 7: biography and autobiography

What might you infer

from the cover of this
1951 special edition
comic book?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
What does Robinson
want the reader to
know about the society
in which Branch Rickey
was coaching?

30

Thirty-five years later, while I was lying awake nights, frustrated, unable
to see a future, Mr. Rickey, by now the president of the Dodgers, was also
lying awake at night, trying to make up his mind about a new experiment.
He had never forgotten the agony of that black athlete. When he
became a front-office executive in St. Louis, he had fought, behind the
scenes, against the custom that consigned black spectators to the Jim
Crow section1 of the Sportsmans Park, later to become Busch Memorial
Stadium. His pleas to change the rules were in vain. Those in power
argued that if blacks were allowed a free choice of seating, white business
would suffer. b
ranch Rickey lost that fight, but when he became the boss of the
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943, he felt the time for equality in baseball
had come. He knew that achieving it would be terribly difficult. There
would be deep resentment, determined opposition, and perhaps even
racial violence. He was convinced he was morally right, and he shrewdly
sensed that making the game a truly national one would have healthy
financial results. He took his case before the startled directors of the club,
and using persuasive eloquence, he won the first battle in what would
be a long and bitter campaign. He was voted permission to make the
Brooklyn club the pioneer in bringing blacks into baseball.
Winning his directors approval was almost insignificant in contrast to
the task which now lay ahead of the Dodger president. He made certain
that word of his plans did not leak out, particularly to the press. Next,
he had to find the ideal player for his project, which came to be called
Rickeys noble experiment. This player had to be one who could take
abuse, name-calling, rejection by fans and sportswriters and by fellow
players not only on opposing teams but on his own. He had to be able
to stand up in the face of merciless persecution and not retaliate. On
the other hand, he had to be a contradiction in human terms; he still
had to have spirit. He could not be an Uncle Tom.2 His ability to
turn the other cheek had to be predicated3 on his determination to gain
acceptance. Once having proven his ability as player, teammate, and man,
he had to be able to cast off humbleness and stand up as a full-fledged
participant whose triumph did not carry the poison of bitterness. c
Unknown to most people and certainly to me, after launching a major
scouting program, Branch Rickey had picked me as that player. The
Rickey talent hunt went beyond national borders. Cuba, Mexico, Puerto
Rico, Venezuela, and other countries where dark-skinned people lived

b SUMMARIZE

What are the important

details about the people
Jackie Robinson has
introduced you to so far?
Add the information
to your log.

40

50

60

1. consigned . . . to the Jim Crow section: directed African Americans to sit in a separate section.
2. Uncle Tom: an offensive term for an African-American person seen as trying overly hard to please
white people; originally from the novel Uncle Toms Cabin, written in 1851 by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
3. predicated (prDdPG-kAQtGd): based.

812

unit 7: biography and autobiography

shrewdly (shrLdPlC) adv.

wisely; in a clever way
eloquence (DlPE-kwEns)
n. forceful, convincing
speech or writing

retaliate (rG-tBlPC-AtQ) v.
to get revenge; get even

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Why does Jackie
Robinson choose to
tell you so much about
Branch Rickeys thoughts
on the qualities the
first major-league black
baseball player will have
to have?

Jackie Robinson in his Kansas City Monarchs uniform shortly before he met Branch Rickey, 1945

70

80

had been checked out. Mr. Rickey had learned that there were a number
of black players, war veterans mainly, who had gone to these countries,
despairing of finding an opportunity in their own country. The manhunt
had to be camouflaged. If it became known he was looking for a black
recruit for the Dodgers, all hell would have broken loose. The gimmick
he used as a cover-up was to make the world believe that he was about
to establish a new Negro league. In the spring of 1945 he called a press
conference and announced that the Dodgers were organizing the United
States League, composed of all black teams. This, of course, made
blacks and prointegration whites indignant. He was accused of trying
to uphold the existing segregation and, at the same time, capitalize on
black players. Cleverly, Mr. Rickey replied that his league would be better
organized than the current ones. He said its main purpose, eventually,
was to be absorbed into the majors. It is ironic that by coming very close
to telling the truth, he was able to conceal that truth from the enemies
of integrated baseball. Most people assumed that when he spoke of some
distant goal of integration, Mr. Rickey was being a hypocrite on this issue
as so many of baseballs leaders had been. d
lack players were familiar with this kind of hypocrisy. When I was
with the Monarchs, shortly before I met Mr. Rickey, Wendell Smith,
then sports editor of the black weekly Pittsburgh Courier, had arranged
for me and two other players from the Negro league to go to a tryout

camouflage
(kBmPE-flzhQ) v. to
disguise or portray
falsely in order to
conceal

capitalize (kBpPG-tl-FzQ) v.
to take advantage of
integrated (GnPtG-grAQtGd)
adj. open to people of
all races and groups
integrate v.

d SUMMARIZE

What challenges will

face Rickey and any
African-American player
he chooses?

the noble experiment

813

90

100

with the Boston Red Sox. The tryout had been brought about because
a Boston city councilman had frightened the Red Sox management.
Councilman Isadore Muchneck threatened to push a bill through
banning Sunday baseball unless the Red Sox hired black players. Sam
Jethroe of the Cleveland Buckeyes, Marvin Williams of the Philadelphia
Stars, and I had been grateful to Wendell for getting us a chance in the
Red Sox tryout, and we put our best efforts into it. However, not for one
minute did we believe the tryout was sincere. The Boston club officials
praised our performance, let us fill out application cards, and said,
So long. We were fairly certain they wouldnt call us, and we had
no intention of calling them.
Incidents like this made Wendell Smith as cynical as we were.
He didnt accept Branch Rickeys new league as a genuine project,
and he frankly told him so. During this conversation, the Dodger boss
asked Wendell whether any of the three of us who had gone to Boston
was really good major league material. Wendell said I was. I will be
forever indebted to Wendell because, without his even knowing it,
his recommendation was in the end partly responsible for my career.
At the time, it started a thorough investigation of my background. e
n August 1945, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, I was approached
by Clyde Sukeforth, the Dodger scout. Blacks have had to learn to
protect themselves by being cynical but not cynical enough to slam
the door on potential opportunities. We go through life walking a
tightrope4 to prevent too much disillusionment. I was out on the field
when Sukeforth called my name and beckoned. He told me the Brown
Dodgers were looking for top ballplayers, that Branch Rickey had heard
about me and sent him to watch me throw from the hole. He had come
at an unfortunate time. I had hurt my shoulder a couple of days before
that, and I wouldnt be doing any throwing for at least a week.
Sukeforth said hed like to talk with me anyhow. He asked me to come
to see him after the game at the Stevens Hotel.
Here we go again, I thought. Another time-wasting experience.
But Sukeforth looked like a sincere person, and I thought I might as
well listen. I agreed to meet him that night. When we met, Sukeforth
got right to the point. Mr. Rickey wanted to talk to me about the
possibility of becoming a Brown Dodger. If I could get a few days off
and go to Brooklyn, my fare and expenses would be paid. At first
I said that I couldnt leave my team and go to Brooklyn just like
that. Sukeforth wouldnt take no for an answer. He pointed out that
I couldnt play for a few days anyhow because of my bum arm. Why
should my team object?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 96103.
Notice that Robinson
uses first-person
pronouns such as I
and we. To whom does
the we refer?

110

120

4. walking a tightrope: maintaining a narrow balance.

814

unit 7: biography and autobiography

disillusionment
(dGsQG-lLPzhEn-mEnt) n.
disappointment; loss
of hope

VISUAL VOCABULARY
#&
,&

2&

X
"

33

"
0

"

throw from the hole v.

to throw from deep
in the infield (X) to
first base (1B)

Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey on signing day

I continued to hold out and demanded to know what would

happen if the Monarchs fired me. The Dodger scout replied quietly
that he didnt believe that would happen.
I shrugged and said Id make the trip. I figured I had nothing to lose.
130

140

ranch Rickey was an impressive-looking man. He had a classic face,

an air of command, a deep, booming voice, and a way of cutting
through red tape and getting down to basics. He shook my hand
vigorously and, after a brief conversation, sprang the first question.
You got a girl? he demanded.
It was a hell of a question. I had two reactions: why should he
be concerned about my relationship with a girl; and, second, while
I thought, hoped, and prayed I had a girl, the way things had been
going, I was afraid she might have begun to consider me a hopeless
case. I explained this to Mr. Rickey and Clyde. f
Mr. Rickey wanted to know all about Rachel. I told him of our
hopes and plans.
You know, you have a girl, he said heartily. When we get through
today, you may want to call her up because there are times when a man
needs a woman by his side.
My heart began racing a little faster again as I sat there speculating.
First he asked me if I really understood why he had sent for me. I told
him what Clyde Sukeforth had told me.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 135139.
What can you
infer about Jackie
Robinsons personal
life and feelings?

speculate
(spDkPyE-lAtQ) v. to view
or consider different
possibilities; to guess
what might happen

the noble experiment

815

150

160

170

180

Thats what he was supposed to tell you, Mr. Rickey said. The truth
is you are not a candidate for the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers. Ive sent
for you because Im interested in you as a candidate for the Brooklyn
National League Club. I think you can play in the major leagues. How
do you feel about it?
My reactions seemed like some kind of weird mixture churning in a
blender. I was thrilled, scared, and excited. I was incredulous. Most of all,
I was speechless.
You think you can play for Montreal?he demanded.
I got my tongue back. Yes, I answered.
Montreal was the Brooklyn Dodgers top farm club. The players who
went there and made it had an excellent chance at the big time.
I was busy reorganizing my thoughts while Mr. Rickey and Clyde
Sukeforth discussed me briefly, almost as if I werent there. Mr. Rickey
was questioning Clyde. Could I make the grade?
Abruptly, Mr. Rickey swung his swivel chair in my direction. He was
a man who conducted himself with great drama. He pointed a finger at me.
I know youre a good ballplayer, he barked. What I dont know is
whether you have the guts.
I knew it was all too good to be true. Here was a guy questioning my
courage. That virtually amounted to him asking me if I was a coward.
Mr. Rickey or no Mr. Rickey, that was an insinuation hard to take. I felt
the heat coming up into my cheeks. g
Before I could react to what he had said, he leaned forward in his chair
and explained.
I wasnt just another athlete being hired by a ball club. We were
playing for big stakes. This was the reason Branch Rickeys search had
been so exhaustive. The search had spanned the globe and narrowed
down to a few candidates, then finally to me. When it looked as though
I might be the number-one choice, the investigation of my life, my
habits, my reputation, and my character had become an intensified study.
Ive investigated you thoroughly, Robinson, Mr. Rickey said.
One of the results of this thorough screening were reports from
California athletic circles that I had been a racial agitator5 at UCLA.
Mr. Rickey had not accepted these criticisms on face value. He had
demanded and received more information and came to the conclusion
that if I had been white, people would have said, Heres a guy whos
a contender, a competitor.
After that he had some grim words of warning. We cant fight our way
through this, Robinson. Weve got no army. Theres virtually nobody on
our side. No owners, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And Im afraid
5. racial agitator: negative term used for someone who tries to stir up trouble between the races.

816

unit 7: biography and autobiography

insinuation
(Gn-sGnQyL-APshEn) n.
a suggestion or hint
intended to insult
g

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 153170.
What words and phrases
help you understand
how Robinson felt
during his interview
with Branch Rickey?

190

that many fans will be hostile. Well be in a tough position. We can win
only if we can convince the world that Im doing this because youre a
great ballplayer and a fine gentleman.
He had me transfixed as he spoke. I could feel his sincerity, and I began
to get a sense of how much this major step meant to him. Because of his
nature and his passion for justice, he had to do what he was doing. He
continued. The rumbling voice, the theatrical gestures were gone.
He was speaking from a deep, quiet strength.
So theres more than just playing, he said. I wish it meant only hits,
runs, and errorsonly the things they put in the box score. Because you
knowyes, you would know, Robinson, that a baseball box score is a
democratic thing. It doesnt tell how big you are, what church you attend,
what color you are, or how your father voted in the last election. It just
tells what kind of baseball player you were on that particular day. h

200

h SUMMARIZE

What does Branch

Rickey really want to
find out about Jackie
Robinson during this
interview? Include these
details in your log.

Jackie Robinson crosses the plate after one of his many home-run hits for the Montreal Royals.

the noble experiment

817

210

220

230

240

I interrupted. But its the box score that really countsthat and that
alone, isnt it?
Its all that ought to count, he replied. But it isnt. Maybe one of these
days it will be all that counts. That is one of the reasons Ive got you here,
Robinson. If youre a good enough man, we can make this a start in the right
direction. But let me tell you, its going to take an awful lot of courage.
He was back to the crossroads question that made me start to get angry
minutes earlier. He asked it slowly and with great care.
Have you got the guts to play the game no matter what happens?
I think I can play the game, Mr. Rickey, I said.
The next few minutes were tough. Branch Rickey had to make
absolutely sure that I knew what I would face. Beanballs6 would be
thrown at me. I would be called the kind of names which would hurt and
infuriate any man. I would be physically attacked. Could I take all of this
and control my temper, remain steadfastly loyal to our ultimate aim?
He knew I would have terrible problems and wanted me to know the
extent of them before I agreed to the plan. I was twenty-six years old,
and all my lifeback to the age of eight when a little neighbor girl called
me namesI had believed in payback, retaliation. The most luxurious
possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity. I
looked at Mr. Rickey guardedly, and in that second I was looking at him
not as a partner in a great experiment, but as the enemya white man.
I had a question, and it was the age-old one about whether or not you
sell your birthright. i
Mr. Rickey, I asked, are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to
fight back?
I never will forget the way he exploded.
Robinson, he said, Im looking for a ballplayer with guts enough
not to fight back.
After that, Mr. Rickey continued his lecture on the kind of thing
Id be facing.
He not only told me about it, but he acted out the part of a white
player charging into me, blaming me for the accident and calling me
all kinds of foul racial names. He talked about my race, my parents,
in language that was almost unendurable.
Theyll taunt and goad you, Mr. Rickey said. Theyll do anything
to make you react. Theyll try to provoke a race riot in the ballpark.
This is the way to prove to the public that a Negro should not be allowed
in the major league. This is the way to frighten the fans and make them
afraid to attend the games.

6. beanballs: pitches thrown purposely at a batters head.

818

unit 7: biography and autobiography

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Reread lines 218222.
What is most important
to Jackie Robinson?

taunt (tnt) v. to make

fun of

fpo

Jackie makes the big time with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

250

If hundreds of black people wanted to come to the ballpark to watch

me play and Mr. Rickey tried to discourage them, would I understand
that he was doing it because the emotional enthusiasm of my people
could harm the experiment? That kind of enthusiasm would be as bad
as the emotional opposition of prejudiced white fans.
Suppose I was at shortstop. Another player comes down from first,
stealing, flying in with spikes high, and cuts me on the leg. As I feel
the blood running down my leg, the white player laughs in my face.
How do you like that, boy? he sneers. j
Could I turn the other cheek? I didnt know how I would do it.
Yet I knew that I must. I had to do it for so many reasons. For black
youth, for my mother, for Rae, for myself. I had already begun to feel
I had to do it for Branch Rickey.
I was offered, and agreed to sign later, a contract with a $3,500 bonus
and $600-a-month salary. I was officially a Montreal Royal. I must not
tell anyone except Rae and my mother. 

SUMMARIZE
How does Branch
Rickey test Jackie
Robinson to make sure
he is strong enough to
succeed with dignity?

the noble experiment

819