13 Chapter 12 Number 42

Chapter 12 Number 42

Five days later, on April 15, 1947, Jackie played in his first major league game. The Dodgers were

at home at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. One newspaper headline read: "Triumph of Whole Race Seen in Jackie's Debut in Major League Ball." Talk about pressure! It was a cool, clear afternoon. When Jackie reached the clubhouse, he put on his #42 uniform for the first time. "It fit me," Jackie said later, "but I still felt like a stranger, or an uninvited guest." Jackie knew Rachel, with Jackie, Jr., was cheering from the stands. And he knew his mother was rooting for him, too, back in California. That helped him stay calm as he took first base. The Dodgers were playing the Boston Braves. The Braves were up first. The first Braves batter hit a ground ball to third. The third baseman picked it up and tossed it to Jackie. Out! Two outs later, the Dodgers trotted off the field. At Jackie's first at bat, the crowd cheered. He held the bat high. He leaned into his stance, toes pointing in. Holding his Louisville Slugger tightly, he faced the pitcher. Curveballs and fastballs came at Jackie like speeding bullets. Hard, high-speed strikes. This

wasn't the minors anymore.

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Finally, Jackie swung. The ball arched, then rolled toward third. It was an easy out. Still the crowd cheered. The Dodgers won 5—3. But Jackie was disappointed. He wanted to play better. He hoped to be a key part of the team. In the early days, Jackie was quiet around his teammates. He kept to himself. Nobody, he felt, was trying to make him feel wanted. Jackie kept telling himself it didn't matter if no one liked him. All that mattered was respect. Jackie received threatening letters from people he didn't know. One said, "We have already got rid of several like you," in block letters. Some letters threatened to harm Rachel and Jackie, Jr. Branch Rickey showed them to the police. Players on other teams pointed bats at Jackie like machine guns. They dug their cleats into him as they stepped on first base. The first game against the Philadelphia Phillies was very tough on Jackie. The Phillies shouted such hateful insults that Jackie later said, "[they] brought me nearer to cracking up than I ever had been." But there was an upside. His Dodger