(The following was originally published at SB*Nation’s Pinstriped Bible)
If not for the KC Monarchs, Jackie Robinson (third from left in first row) may have never had the chance to break the color barrier. (Photo: NLBM)
After much anticipation, tomorrow marks the broad release of 42, Warner Brothers’ biopic about baseball legend Jackie Robinson. However, based on the trailers, it seems as if the movie pays equal tribute to Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ GM who selected Robinson to break the sport’s color barrier.
In advance of opening night, there has been debate about the extent to which Rickey should be cast as a hero. Was Rickey a courageous pioneer whose quest for social justice was the driving force behind the integration of baseball? Or, was he an opportunist who, after years of abiding the gentleman’s agreement that banned black players, preyed upon the Negro Leagues as a source of cheap talent? Both depictions seem like an extreme view, with the truth lying somewhere in the middle.
It would be a shame if 42 becomes a referendum on Branch Rickey’s motivations. Regardless of what brought him to that point, Rickey’s union with Robinson helped reverse baseball’s legacy of racism, and both men should be lauded for their participation. It doesn’t really matter how credit is allocated between the two pioneers. Rickey and Robinson each acted as a hero, and, as a result, their individual histories really are one.
Paying sufficient tribute to two heroes is a difficult enough task for one movie, but imagine if there were hundreds of others who also deserved a tribute? Well, that’s the reality confronted by 42 (at least it should be). After all, Rickey and Robinson weren’t alone in their fight against segregation. They were standing on the shoulders of the hundreds of players and businessmen who built the Negro Leagues into a vibrant enterprise that, although separate, was in many ways equal to their white counterparts. For too long, these heroes have been ignored, and many of their contributions have been forgotten. 42 has the chance to remind us, but will it take advantage?
