A Jackie Robinson Day tribute from 2023

In honor of Jackie Robinson Day

A Stories Inside the Man Cave Podcast feature story collaborated with Huston-Tillotson University in Austin in 2023.

#42

FYI: Jackie Robinson had ties to Austin and HT.

#JackieRobinsonDay #baseball #austintexas

Transcript

Houston-Tillotson Honors Number 42

The Abuse Robinson Endured

SPEAKER_03 0:02

It was a special weekend for baseball. April 15th is officially observed as Jackie Robinson Day. But why? On April 15th in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with his debut in Major League Baseball. Since 2004, though, MLB teams wear the number 42. Every one of them, Jackie's number 42. Now other baseball teams honor the legend. For example, historically black colleges and universities like HT in Austin, Houston Tillotson. Now many pronounce that as Houston. And what I learned is it's actually Huston. Named after Samuel Huston. It used to be called Samuel Huston College, which is why HT wore special jerseys on April 15th with the initials SHC on the front and the 42 on the back.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

I mean, it was it was ugly stuff, some violent stuff. You have you know pitchers throwing at him, and he's getting um harassed wherever he went, and he did that and he changed the game. Um ultimately it was a tough time for him, but he definitely was a special person and got through it. And these guys understand that and just want to showcase that.

A Deeper Meaning For Players

SPEAKER_03 1:18

An initiative which was a no-brainer for HT head coach Jason Mandarez, honoring history and a legend which made this great game even better for future generations.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

I was very accustomed to okay, it's not very many of us in the game of baseball and learning the history about him, and then come to find out, oh, you wear the same number as him. It had a bigger cost than just me.

SPEAKER_03 1:42

Taylor Grimes and each of the Rams see the bigger picture. For Grimes, he wears the number 42 hanging from his neck. His jersey number is actually tied to Jackie's roots prior to his major league debut in 1947.

Jackie Robinson’s Austin Connection

SPEAKER_01 1:55

The thing I did alternate to is his uh Negro League jersey number nine. So now I wear number nine, and I've had that number since high school, and you know, he's just been one of my favorite players since I was Yay high.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Before the first pitch for HT's game on April 15th, the feeling was different, a deeper sense of realization of who they were playing for.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

He was beaten, thrown at, spit on, you know, and all that. And it's it's just it's just very eye-opening as you mature and kind of realize that this game isn't given to everybody. And it's it's a privilege to be able to come out here every day.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

It was festive, yet there was a reflection on past sacrifices. The sight of 42 in every direction that I can see. That feeling, indescribable. But there's a much greater meaning, a deeper connection for HT to Jackie Robinson.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

1945, you look at where he was at, and he was actually the uh the athletic director and head men's basketball coach for the university or for Samuel Huston College, and that's why we're wearing these jerseys today and telling this story. And you look at the field we play on, Downsfield. Reverend Carl Downs was the uh the gentleman that married him. He was also the president of Samuel Huston College. Um, Downsfield is also a historic Negro League baseball field.

Thanks And Sponsor Shout Out

SPEAKER_03 3:12

That's one of those I Bet You Didn't Know moments, huh? Jackie Robinson spent time in Austin, Texas, and he invested his time into HT's fabric and into the HT community. Hey, much appreciation to Chase Almadearis and the Rams for spending time with me prior to their first pitch of their game on April 15th. Jackie Robinson Day. And a special shout out to Honest AC and Plumbing, where a handshake still means something.