Submitted by Fred on

Mr. Rickey

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Games

One of my favorite questions that I ask in an interview is "Who is your favorite historical figure?"   The answers are both interesting and revealing. 

Recently an interviewee said Abraham Lincoln.  Clearly, he is a worthy choice.  However, it might be too obvious. 

My favorites are those where the person digs down.  

Joanne turned the question on me and I pondered for a while, dug down and came up with Branch Rickey.

Mr. Rickey was a significant figure in the first half of the 20th century and although his purview was our National Pastime (Baseball) his impact was far wider and crucial to our country.

His 1947 signing of Jackie Robinson, an African American, to a Brooklyn Dodger contract was a seminal moment in the Civil Rights movement.  Thus was broken Major League Baseball's color barrier.  All that followed had its start then and there. 

His barrier breaking was born out of a combination of idealism and astute business sense. 

Rickey's epitaph was "It is not the honor that you take with you but the heritage you leave behind."

Comments

Submitted by Judy_Mauer on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 21:14

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Judy Mauer

Great choice - and I learned something. Always a blog bonus.

Submitted by Michael__Appell on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 22:05

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Michael Appell

One of my top all time heros was the guy Mr. Rickey signed #42

Submitted by Fred on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 22:16

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Fred Klein

Yogi tagged him out

Submitted by SoniaSaleh on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 22:34

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Sonia Saleh

Thank you for enriching my knowledge. So many positive heros. I might borrow your question

Submitted by MarilynGenoa on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 22:41

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Marilyn Genoa

Thank you, lovely thought and again, as Judy points out, lovely way to learn things. When I have a chance I intend to learn more about Mr. Rickey.

Submitted by Steven_Lichtenstein on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 22:43

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Steven Lichtenstein

Branch Rickey is a good choice. He paved the way for my pick, Martin Luther King. His iconic "I've been to the mountaintop speech" still resonates today with hope, compassion and a vision for how America can heal wounds, find common ground and provide all citizens with the opportunity to live an American dream.

Submitted by Fred on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 23:25

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Fred Klein

He coined: Luck is the residue of design

Submitted by Fred on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 23:26

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Fred Klein

We agree on this one. :)
Cayce Crown

Also, a big figure in getting the regular use of batting helmets. Love that.
And the first person to create a permanent home for Spring Training.
A Visionary.

"Luck is the residue of design."
Victoria Drogin

Fascinating! Joseph Campbell, Eleanor Roosevelt, MarkTwain, Buddha, Charles Darwin, Mozart, so many more .....

Submitted by NeilHollander on Fri, 06/30/2017 - 05:26

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Neil Hollander

Next time there is one of those Harvest Moons look up and try to imagine stepping off The Eagle onto the surface of the moon . " That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind ." Neil Armstrong is my pick . Imagine the courage under Fire of our first pioneers into space . Much later Commander Armstrong actually hired me to fly a fleet of his airplanes . He was the CEO of a Net Jets competitor. He hired me on the spot . Navy guys stick together . So as he sat next to me in the co-pilot seat conducting my employment check ride I was the King of the World . And he was the King of my world . I cried at his funeral and the cosmos fittingly planned a rare " Blue Moon " on August 29, 2012 the day he was laid to rest . My roll model for eternity . They don't make em like that anymore .

Hollander Sends

Hollander Sends
ODEY RAVIV

Great discussion.
Rickey was a man with vision and courage. See the Jackie Robinson Documentary that PBS ran a few years ago to see Rickey and get more context. Available on
Netflix ( btw my son, Ted was co-editor).
The choices are great. I have a special place for Raoul Wallenberg, the wealthy and accomplished Swedish architect and businessman. He risked everything to save tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the late stages of World War II.
He paid for his heroic act with his life.

Submitted by Fred on Fri, 06/30/2017 - 06:59

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Fred Klein

You've had quite a life. You should write a book.
Rona Gura

Love the answer you gave. Never heard of him but interesting to learn about him

Not sure she's my favorite but someone I would love to meet is Margaret Thatcher.

Submitted by NeilHollander on Fri, 06/30/2017 - 08:34

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Neil Hollander

A chapter on how you helped me get through this post stroke funk !
Burton Fendelman

No question Branch Rick is the most in the world of baseball and probably the entire sports world. In addition to breaking the color barrier and the head gear, he was the founder of the farm system in bringing up young players (with St. Louis Cardinals). However, if not for Benjamin Franklin, cricket might be our "national pastime." Not only was Franklin an inventor, printer, philosopher, but he was of the committee to draft the Drclaration of Independence, the initial effort to establish strong ties with France, the alliance that contributed mightily to the US victory, arranged a great amount of financing with the Dutch to help finance the war efforts and more. Franklin gets my vote.

Submitted by kstuartlaw on Wed, 07/05/2017 - 05:50

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Kenneth Stuart

Having grown up in the shadows of Ebbets Field and still morning the loss of "my" Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey and the team have a special place in my past, BUT GEORGE WASHINGTON made America what it is today and he is my favorite historical figure.
Dana Charlton

I'm thinking about who mine is, but meanwhile, I think I'll add that to the questions I ask of applicants to our co-op. That should be enlightening.

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