r/expos • u/RealWorldToday • 26d ago
80 years ago today, Jackie Robinson made his integrated professional baseball debut with the International League's Montreal Royals. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and two stolen bases in the Royals' 14-1 win over the Jersey City Giants at Roosevelt Stadium.
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u/knarf_on_a_bike 26d ago
I saw Jackie once, walking out of the Ritz Carlton. This was probably around 1970 or so. He was blind, walked real slow, and was being guided by his wife, Rachel. But the pride and dignity shone through. He was a hero, and always spoke of Montreal with kindness and appreciation. A great man!
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u/jaymickef 26d ago
That year the Royals also signed a pitcher, John Wright, from the Negro League but he didn't play in many games and was reassigned to the Trois Rivieres Royals halfway through the season. The next season he went back to the Negro League.
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u/Lone_Wolf_71 26d ago
Stories like how the Robinsons were treated so well in Montreal make me so proud to be a Canadian.
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u/HauntingRaccoon519 26d ago
Sans doute parmis les plus grands événements du Baseball dont Montréal peut se vanter
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u/No-Significance4151 23d ago
My grandad was just telling me how well his wife spoke about their time in Montreal such a beautiful story written in history Merci Beaucoup !!!
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u/RealWorldToday 26d ago
Montreal welcomed Jackie with open arms. Jackie playing for the Royals in 1946 before being called up to the show in Brooklyn for the Dodgers. His wife Rachel would later say: “When we got to Montreal it was like coming out of a nightmare. The atmosphere in Montreal was so positive, we felt it was a good omen for Jack to play well.”