- published: 13 Jan 2010
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Wendell Smith (March 23, 1914 – November 26, 1972) was a noted African American sportswriter who was influential in the choice of Jackie Robinson to become the first African American player in Major League Baseball in the 20th century. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum currently hosts a web archive and exhibit based on their collection of Smith's writings.
A Detroit native, Smith graduated from West Virginia State College where he pitched on the baseball team. One day after winning a game, a major league scout approached him and said that he wished that he could sign him, but couldn't due to baseball's color barrier, and instead signed the opposing pitcher. Thereafter, Smith promised himself that he'd do whatever he could to see an African-American play major league baseball. He also became the sports editor for the college's newspaper his junior year. He began his professional writing career in 1937 with the Pittsburgh Courier, then the most popular paper within the black community in the country. He started as a sports writer and then a sports editor the year after. He covered the Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Pittsburgh Pirates of baseball's Negro Leagues for the Courier. Smith also petitioned the Baseball Writers Association of America for membership but was turned down because he was with the Courier and not one of the white-owned papers.
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. The Dodgers, by playing Robinson, ended racial segregation that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Robinson had an exceptional 10-year baseball career. He was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. In 1997, MLB "universally" retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42.
Actors: Tim Ware (actor), Alan Tudyk (actor), Christopher Meloni (actor), John C. McGinley (actor), Henry G. Sanders (actor), James Pickens Jr. (actor), Matt Clark (actor), Brett Cullen (actor), Walter Hendrix III (actor), Toby Huss (actor), Harrison Ford (actor), Joe Inscoe (actor), Max Gail (actor), Brian Helgeland (writer), Rhoda Griffis (actress),
Plot: In 1946, Jackie Robinson is a Negro League baseball player who never takes racism lying down. Branch Rickey is a Major League team executive with a bold idea. To that end, Rickey recruits Robinson to break the unspoken color line as the first modern African American Major League player. As both anticipate, this proves a major challenge for Robinson and his family as they endure unrelenting racist hostility on and off the field, from player and fan alike. As Jackie struggles against his nature to endure such abuse without complaint, he finds allies and hope where he least expects it.
Keywords: 1940s, african-american, athlete, baseball, baseball-game, baseball-hat, baseball-movie, baseball-player, baseball-star, baseball-teamActors: Ruby Dee (actress), Noble Willingham (actor), Andre Braugher (actor), Steven Williams (actor), Glenn Morshower (actor), Bruce Dern (actor), Daniel Stern (actor), Robert DoQui (actor), Dale Dye (actor), Jim Beaver (actor), Paul Dooley (actor), Michael Greene (actor), Gary Grubbs (actor), Frank von Zerneck (producer), Robert M. Sertner (producer),
Plot: The early life of the future baseball star is told here. Jackie Robinson was a young college student and athlete who learned never to take racist attacks lying down. This eventually gets him into trouble when he is drafted in World War II and assigned to a Texas training camp deep in the racist south. The film climaxes when Jackie Robinson must face a court-martial for insubordination when he refused to go to the back of the bus when the white bus driver ordered him, knowing that he was in his rights to do so.
Keywords: 1940s, african-american, army-life, character-name-in-title, civil-rights, court-martial, courtroom, racism, world-war-twoChampion Life Church | Eddie & Tammy Windsor, Palm Desert California, www.ChampionLifeChurch.com www.eddiewindsor.blogspot.com www.championlifechurch.blogspot.com www.youtube.com/user/championlifetv
Champion Life Church | Eddie & Tammy Windsor, Palm Desert California, www.ChampionLifeChurch.com www.eddiewindsor.blogspot.com www.championlifechurch.blogspot.com
Champion Life Church | Eddie & Tammy Windsor, Palm Desert California, www.ChampionLifeChurch.com www.eddiewindsor.blogspot.com www.championlifechurch.blogspot.com www.youtube.com/user/championlifetv
Black sportswriter Wendell Smith urged Branch Rickey to recruit Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. But Smith felt conflicted because he knew that the integration of Major League Baseball would mark the beginning of the end for the Negro Leagues.
1959 popcorn rocker produced by Lester Sill and Lee Hazlewood.
fliped with ''Nashville Tennessee'' issued on UnArt Records in 1959
Wendell Smith, the first black member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, transcended sports writing to help Jackie Robinson "jump the hurdle" of baseball's color barrier. Wendell's widow, Wyonella Smith, was on hand at the 1993 J.G. Taylor Spink Award Presentation to accept the honor on his behalf. Watch more Baseball Hall of Fame videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBaseballHall Visit the official Baseball Hall of Fame website: http://www.baseballhall.org Follow the Baseball Hall of Fame on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BaseballHall Like the Baseball Hall of Fame on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaseballHall Follow the Baseball Hall of Fame on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+baseballhalloffame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is home to the greatest st...
Champion Life Church | Eddie & Tammy Windsor, Palm Desert California, www.ChampionLifeChurch.com www.eddiewindsor.blogspot.com www.championlifechurch.blogspot.com www.youtube.com/user/championlifetv
Champion Life Church | Eddie & Tammy Windsor, Palm Desert California, www.ChampionLifeChurch.com www.eddiewindsor.blogspot.com www.championlifechurch.blogspot.com www.youtube.com/user/championlifetv