Sporting Goods

Mitchell & Ness Salutes Jackie Robinson

"Before Jackie Robinson broke the color line, I wasn't permitted even to think about being a professional baseball player. I once mentioned something to my father about it, and he said, "Ain't no colored ballplayers." There were the Negro Leagues, of course, where the Dodgers discovered Jackie, but my mother, like most, would rather her son be a schoolteacher than a Negro Leaguer. All that changed when Jackie put on No. 42 and started stealing bases in a Brooklyn uniform." - Hank Aaron, TIME Magazine, 2000

In 1947, Branch Rickey, GM and president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, saw promising young talent forming in the Negro Leagues. There were no official bans on black players in Major League Baseball at the time, but Rickey's idea of integration on the field was often met with opposition from rival clubs and league officials.

But, Rickey didn't care. He signed a talented young prospect from the Kansas City Monarchs.

On April 15, 1947, 27-year-old Jack Roosevelt Robinson debuted at first base, and didn't hit a single ball in his three times at bat. But he did do more for the game of baseball than anyone ever could have imagined that day. Jackie Robinson broke baseballs color line and changed the game forever.

Robinson was one of the best players of his time exuding a confidence and silent strength that stood up against abuse from rival ball clubs, fans, even members of his own team.

Some of Robinson's teammates said they would rather strike than play alongside him. Dodger management responded by telling the defiant players they were welcome to find employment elsewhere, the sedition ended...at least in the dugout.

On the field it was another story. Pitchers threw at Robinson's head, base runners tried to cut him with their cleats and the verbal abuse from opposing teams was relentless.

The Philadelphia Phillies, led by manager Ben Chapman, were especially

With a fastball that reached well over 100 mph even into his forties, it's no surprise that Nolan Ryan tops the list as one of the best pitchers ever to take the field. He ranks first in all-time strikeouts with 5,714. Nicknamed the "Ryan Express" after an action adventure movie in the 60s, Ryan proved his dedication to the game in one of the longest careers in baseball history. He broke many of the records set before him by the great Sandy Koufax and has played more seasons than any other player in baseball history. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 as one of the games finest.