#Shortstops: Cap For a Champion

The strongest measure of character is the ability to stand up for others and lead by example. This perfectly encapsulates the career of Jackie Robinson, who was the first Black player in the 20th century to take the field in the American or National League. Robinson, throughout his career, would endure teammates, opponents, and fans who opposed his presence, as well as threats to himself and his family due to the color of his skin and the message for which he stood.

Robinson, despite facing as much adversity as he did, had an illustrious big league career with a .313 batting average, 972 runs scored, 1,563 hits and 200 stolen bases. In his first season in the National League in 1947, Robinson won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and he won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1949.

One of Jackie’s signature plays on the field was stealing home, which he accomplished in his career 19 times. One of these times was in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees. Brooklyn trailed by two runs, but Robinson explained after the moment that “whether it was because of my stealing home or not, the team had a new fire.”

In this series, Jackie Robinson was 36 years old when he finally won his first and only World Series championship with the Brooklyn Dodgers, who won Game 7 2-0 to defeat New York for the first time in six tries – five of which came with Robinson in the lineup.

“It was one of the greatest thrills of my life to be finally on a World Series winner,” Robinson said.

Jackie played in each of the first six games at third base, and Game 7 was the only matchup where Robinson did not have any game action. In this game on Oct. 4, 1955, at Yankee Stadium, Jackie wore a Brooklyn Dodgers cap that is part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s collections.

The cap is royal blue, size 7, with a white button at the top crown and a white embroidered "B" logo on the front. There is a leather sweatband lining the interior of the cap, as well as a manufacturer tag. Imprinted on the band is a "KM Pro" logo and sizing information. The brim of the cap is slightly bent, and the logo is slightly discolored, illustrating the wear and tear on the artifact throughout Robinson’s playing time.

This World Series championship for the Brooklyn Dodgers was not only Robinson’s first, but also the franchise’s first as well. Jackie Robinson retired following the 1956 season and would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962. After Robinson’s career as a player, he remained active in the game as an announcer and also lent his support to many societal causes.

“Jackie Robinson made my success possible,” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Without him, I would never have been able to do what I did.”

Ethan Sheanin was the 2024 membership/development intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development