Jackie Robinson

14 Stories

Arrest Made in Theft of Jackie Robinson Statue

Wichita police say theft was about money, not race

(Newser) - Police in Wichita, Kansas announced Tuesday the arrest of a 45-year-old man in the theft of a bronze Jackie Robinson statue that later was found dismantled and burned . Police Lt. Aaron Moses said the man was taken into custody earlier in an unrelated case and charged Monday in the theft....

'Incredible Outpouring of Support' After Statue Stolen

Donations pour in to replace Jackie Robinson statue taken from Wichita park

(Newser) - Donations poured in Wednesday to replace a destroyed statue of Jackie Robinson on what would have been the 105th birthday of the first player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier. Major League Baseball pledged support. And the total raised just through one online fundraiser surpassed $145,000, which...

Police Find Burned Remains of Jackie Robinson Statue

Statue of Black baseball trailblazer was stolen from park in Kansas last week

(Newser) - Fire crews found the burned remnants Tuesday of a prized bronze statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen last week from a public park in Kansas, authorities said. The Wichita fire department received a call around 8:40am about a trash can on fire at Garvey Park in the southern...

Player Gets Fine, 1 Game for Calling Opponent 'Jackie'
Yankees Player
Broadens His
Apology 
updated

Yankees Player Broadens His Apology

Josh Donaldson tells Rachel Robinson he holds her Hall of Famer husband 'in the highest regard'

(Newser) - Update: Josh Donaldson, the Yankees player suspended by Major League Baseball after addressing an opponent as "Jackie," has apologized to Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson's family. In a statement issued Thursday, CBS Sports reports, Donaldson reiterated that he had meant no disrespect and had already apologized to...

City Changes Park Name Over Grim Jackie Robinson Moment

Sanford, Florida, revisits dark moment in its history

(Newser) - A Florida park has been renamed so it no longer honors the police chief who threw Jackie Robinson out of a baseball game, USA Today reports. The city commission in Sanford, Fla., voted unanimously Monday to remove the "Roy Williams Park" sign, and by Tuesday it was gone. "...

Racial Slurs Scrawled on Jackie Robinson Statue

Swastikas among graffiti near Brooklyn minor-league park

(Newser) - A Jackie Robinson statue in Brooklyn has been targeted by vandals, who used a black marker to scribble racial slurs and a swastika on the monument. The graffiti includes the n-word as well as "anti-Semitic comments," police say. The statue, which features fellow player Pee Wee Reese putting...

42 Knocks Scary Movie 5 Out of the Park
 42 Knocks 
 Scary Movie 5 
 Out of the Park 
box office

42 Knocks Scary Movie 5 Out of the Park

Jackie Robinson film scores surprise victory

(Newser) - The Jackie Robinson biopic 42 shocked the competition this weekend with a surprise win at the box office, the LA Times reports. The story about America's first black major league ballplayer bowed to $27.3 million, well ahead of pre-release polling and the other new debut film, Scary Movie ...

For Better or Worse, 42 Is Safe
 For Better or Worse, 42 Is Safe 
Movie Review

For Better or Worse, 42 Is Safe

If anything, Jackie Robinson biopic might be a little too reverential

(Newser) - The Jackie Robinson biopic 42 slides into theaters today, and it's being greeted by a polite ovation from critics, who for the most part seem to admire Robinson's story more than the filmmaking. Here's what people are saying:
  • If director Brian Helgeland's "intention was to
...

Years Ago, Trayvon's City Forced Out Jackie Robinson

Sanford, Florida, has an unfortunate history of racism

(Newser) - The Trayvon Martin shooting has put a negative spotlight on Sanford, Florida, and Dave Zirin at the Nation points out that it's not the first time for the city. The quick version: In 1946, the mayor and outraged citizens wouldn't let the minor league Montreal Royals take the...

9 Big Names Who Went to Community College

In honor of the White House Community College Summit

(Newser) - President Obama recently called community colleges the "unsung heroes of America’s education system." Huffington Post rounds up nine notable community college attendees who prove his point:
  1. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Attended Santa Monica College before becoming the Terminator, and then the Governator.
  2. Tom Hanks: He transferred from Chabot College
...

Robinson, Now a 'GOP Hero,' Hated GOP

RNC touts baseball legend who compared party to Nazis

(Newser) - Whoops. The RNC’s new “GOP Heroes” website devotes a page to baseball legend Jackie Robinson, declaring him a “great Republican” who campaigned for Richard Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller. There’s just one problem: Robinson was a registered independent who professed he’d “never identified with one...

Jesse Jackson Jr.: Obama's Like Jackie Robinson

Candidate has to endure jeers with a smile, can't strike back

(Newser) - Barack Obama is like Jackie Robinson: he’s got to perform despite racist taunts, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., son of the civil-rights leader, said during a Politico-sponsored panel discussion today ahead of the Democratic convention. Like the baseball pioneer, Obama “has to keep smiling,” in the face of...

Black Players Drop to 8.2 Percent of Major Leaguers

Lowest number in two decades

(Newser) - Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, even as the percentage of black players dropped again last year. MLB received its first A- for race Tuesday from Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Its grade...

Teams of 42s Honor Jackie
Teams of 42s Honor Jackie

Teams of 42s Honor Jackie

(Newser) - Players and coaches across the majors honored Jackie Robinson by donning number 42 on the 60th anniversary of the day Robinson broke the color barrier with his debut as a Brooklyn Dodger. The league officially honored Robinson at Dodger Stadium—a serendipitous choice, as five other potential venues were rained...

14 Stories