What I Learned From Jackie RobinsonWhat I Learned From Jackie Robinson
The former Brooklyn Dodger recalls lessons learned from Jackie Robinson, sharing memories from Robinson's widow and his own recollections of Yogi Berra, Sandy Koufax, Pee Wee Reese, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, and others. 30,000 first printing.
Former Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine was in the minor leagues when he first met Jackie Robinson. It was spring training in 1948, and after pitching five solid innings against the formidable Dodgers lineup, the young Erskine walked back to the dugout, stomping the dirt from his cleats and praying that someone from the big club would tap him on the shoulder. That someone was Jackie Robinson. "You're going to be with us real soon" were the unforgettable words he spoke to the young hopeful. Within just a few months, Robinson's prediction came true. And so began an enduring friendship that would teach the author many important lessons about patience, fortitude, and doing the right thing - even when the chips were down.
In honor of his close friend, Erskine has teamed up with New York Times bestselling co-author Burton Rocks to give us a one-of-a-kind memoir, the only book written about Jackie Robinson by a former teammate.
To paint this complicated portrait of an American hero, Erskine recalls his many seasons with number 42 and brings us face-to-face with the important people in Robinson's life. He recounts firsthand stories from Robinson's widow, Rachel; from teammates Duke Snider, Don Newcombe, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanells; from manager Charlie Dressen; and from the many other players, coaches, and sportswriters who remembered Jackie best.
AN INTIMATE LOOK AT JACKIE ROBINSON'S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY, FROM FORMER TEAMMATE AND LONGTIME FRIEND CARL ERSKINE
"Jackie needed to quell his anger the first couple of years, a task which only someone of this inner strength and vision could have coped with at that moment. When I reflect and wonder what it must have been like for a man who should have been at the happiest of moments in his life, to still have to deal with racial indignities on a daily basis, it is mind-boggling. Most mortal men would have cracked."--Carl Erskine, from the book
Jackie Robinson changed the game of baseball forever when he paved the way for equality in sports. In What I Learned from Jackie Robinson, former teammate and friend Carl Erskine shares his memories of Jackie's crusade in a loving social memoir.
Written with New York Times bestselling coauthor Burton Rocks and filled with personal photos, this moving portrait of friendship takes readers for the first time inside the locker room, inside the soul of Jackie, and inside the hearts of his friends, teammates, and oppressors. As a former Dodger, with access to the important people from Jackie's life, Erskine talks with Robinson's widow and also shares memories about:
Yogi Berra
Whitey Ford
Sandy Koufax
Stan Musial
Pee Wee Reese
Roy Campanella
Don Drysdale
Billy Martin
and many other players, coaches, sportswriters, and entertainers who remembered Jackie on and off the field. A retrospective on a man who fought for his cause until death, this memoir is a testament to the man and the game that brought the world together when it was falling apart.
Title availability
About
Contributors
Subject and genre
Details
- New York : McGraw-Hill, c2005.
From the community