Minor League Season
Jackie Robinson as a member of the Montreal Royals, April 18,1946.
Robinson moved over from shortstop to second base after some sub-par performances with the Royals to begin the 1946 season. This switch made for shorter throws to first base for Robinson, and his performance on the field rebounded, as that season Robinson lead the International League with a .349 batting average, a .985 fielding percentage, winning the Most Valuable Player award.
On April 18, 1946, the Jersey City Giants' season opener at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ hosted the Montreal Royals, as Robinson made his professional debut. This marked the first time the color barrier had been broken in a game between two minor league clubs. Robinson had four hits, non larger than a three-run home run. He also scored four runs, and stole two bases as the Royals won 14–1. The Montreal fans supported Jackie, and he drew in tremendous crowds, as over one million fans went to games in which he was involved in 1946. Those numbers were amazing by International League standards, and one thing was for sure, whether people liked him or not, they wanted to see him play. Another thing that was for sure, was that Robinson was starting to change the idea of a black player, and making progress in his goal.
On April 18, 1946, the Jersey City Giants' season opener at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ hosted the Montreal Royals, as Robinson made his professional debut. This marked the first time the color barrier had been broken in a game between two minor league clubs. Robinson had four hits, non larger than a three-run home run. He also scored four runs, and stole two bases as the Royals won 14–1. The Montreal fans supported Jackie, and he drew in tremendous crowds, as over one million fans went to games in which he was involved in 1946. Those numbers were amazing by International League standards, and one thing was for sure, whether people liked him or not, they wanted to see him play. Another thing that was for sure, was that Robinson was starting to change the idea of a black player, and making progress in his goal.