On This Day in Sports: April 15, 1947
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, breaking Major League Baseball’s modern color barrier. His debut against the Boston Braves ended decades of enforced segregation in the major leagues. It also began a season in which every routine play carried consequences far beyond the standings.
Robinson went hitless in three official at-bats, but his speed helped create the tying run in the seventh inning. He reached on an error, moved to third and scored on Pete Reiser’s double as Brooklyn rallied to win 5-3. The box score looked ordinary; the presence of a Black player in the Dodgers lineup was anything but.
The debut followed years of planning by executive Branch Rickey and a season in which Robinson starred for Montreal in the International League. He entered the majors knowing he would face racist insults, threats and deliberate attempts to provoke him. His ability to compete while carrying that burden required discipline as extraordinary as his athletic talent.
Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947, became National League Most Valuable Player in 1949 and helped Brooklyn win the 1955 World Series. His debut accelerated integration across professional sports and enlarged the meaning of an athlete’s influence. April 15 is now celebrated throughout Major League Baseball, keeping his courage and the unfinished work it represents in view.
Robinson started at first base for Brooklyn.
The Dodgers played the Boston Braves.
Brooklyn won 5-3.
Robinson scored the tying run in the seventh.
He won Rookie of the Year that season.
Major League Baseball honors him each April 15.
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