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Community Corner

42 and 14: A Tribute to Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Baseball

--Jackie Robinson’s widow greets Ridgewood tribute

                RIDGEWOOD, NJ, October 26  – Jackie Robinson’s widow has sent a thank-you message to a planned tribute to the baseball great set for 1 p.m. Saturday, October 26, at Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church, 271 Lincoln Avenue at West End Avenue. The festival will feature baseball poets Susanna Rich and Edwin Romond, baseball songs from the Victoria Warne Band, and free hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks.  

                The heroism of Robinson in confronting virulent racism as he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 was depicted this year in the movie “42” (his uniform number, which baseball permanently retired this fall in his memory). A free screening of the movie "42" will take place on Sunday, October 20th @ 7 pm. 

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                 Ridgewood will also honor a second Baseball Hall of Fame member, Paterson’s own Larry Doby, the American League’s first African-American player with the Cleveland Indians months after Robinson broke in with the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers.

                In her message to Ridgewood, Rachel Robinson, 91, said “Thank you for paying tribute to my husband Jack in this very special way.  Jack left us 41 years ago but we are delighted that our story lives on and continues to resonate in communities around the world,” adding, “I am delighted that you have chosen to honor him and to share with others his enduring legacy.”

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                Since a church is sponsoring the Robinson tribute, she stated, “Jack was a man of faith and it was his unwavering belief in God that sustained us during the most challenging times.”

                Poets are invited to read works on the theme during an open mic session, and drop-in musicians are welcome to perform.  Details on the scheduled performers:

 Dr. Susanna Rich (Blairstown, NJ) was an Emmy Award nominee for her baseball poetry for the documentary “Cobb Field,” and also provided poetry for “A Perfect Place,” a film about the Cincinnati Reds. Her work appears frequently in “Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine.”  Her poetry collections include “The Drive Home” and “Television Daddy.” She also tours with one-woman interactive poetry performances. Rich is an English professor at Kean University in Union, where she received its Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching.

 Edwin Romond (Wind Gap, PA), a longtime public school teacher, now leads poetry events for the Geraldine Dodge Foundation. His book “Blue Mountain Time: Poems About Baseball” was selected for the literary archives at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his baseball memoir “The Ticket” appears in Tim Russert’s best-seller “Wisdom Of Our Fathers.” His poem “Champion,” about the friendship of Olympic track stars Jesse Owens and Luz Long of Germany, won the 2013 New Jersey Poetry Prize. Romond has received poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Arts Councils.

 Victoria Warne (Clifton, NJ) is the lead singer and guitarist with her band, which includes Steve Giordano on bass and George Schaefer on drums, with special guests Joe Jacovino and Cathy Vita. The band will perform “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball,” recorded by Count Basie in 1949, “The Willie Mays Song,” “Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio,” and other baseball hit tunes. Warne has toured internationally and  recorded two CDs as leader with originals that blend blues, rock, and jazz elements. Her many past collaborators ranged from Spyro Gyra’s Julio Fernandez to jazz great Billy Eckstine.

  Jackie Robinson, who died in 1972, helped the Dodgers win the league championship in his first season of 1947, leading the league in stolen bases, and was named Rookie of the Year. During his 10 seasons the Dodgers won the pennant six times. He was one of baseball’s most dangerous base-runners who stole home plate 19 times, a league record.  In 1949 he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, leading in both hitting (.342) and stolen bases (37) while knocking in 124 runs. He was a six-time League All-Star with a career batting average of .311. As his Baseball Hall of Fame citation says, Robinson was “a symbol of hope to millions of Americans.”  

  Larry Doby, who died in 2003, helped the Indians win the league pennant and World Series  in his first full season of 1948, he was the first African-American to hit a World Series home run. He was the league’s first black All-Star in 1949 and an All-Star every year afterward through 1955. In 1952 he became the first black player to lead the league in home runs (32), and in slugging percentage (.541), and also led in runs scored (104). He batted in 100 or more runs in five seasons. In 1954, when the Indians again won the pennant, he finished second for Most Valuable Player behind Yogi Berra, later a fellow Montclair resident. In 1978 Doby became the second African-American manager in the majors, with the Chicago White Sox.

For further information, contact: Pastor Mary Stegink, pastormary@rcrcnj.org, 201.445.1832


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