In this remarkable audio artifact from 1960, we hear the voice of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, as he sits down with Branch Rickey, the visionary executive who signed him. By 1960, Robinson had retired from baseball and was already a civil rights leader, while Rickey had left the Brooklyn Dodgers and was serving as an executive for the Pittsburgh Pirates.Robinson's career was groundbreaking, not just for his exceptional talent, but for the societal impact he had. His courage and resilience in the face of intense racism changed the landscape of American sports. Rickey, on the other hand, was known for his innovative approaches to the game, including the development of the farm system and his role in ending baseball's racial segregation.Their conversation offers a unique perspective on the early years of integration in baseball, and the struggles and triumphs they experienced. This is a rare opportunity to hear from two pivotal figures in baseball history, discussing their shared past from the vantage point of a decade's distance.
