Baseball Pioneers

Our friends from the Kemmerer Library (Harding Township) are sharing this program with us.

Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Curt Flood are very different players, but each one has had a huge impact on professional baseball. After the 1919 Black Sox scandal, baseball needed a player to step up to give the game a much needed shot in the arm. Babe Ruth was that player and became one of America's first superstar athletes. Up until 1947, Major League Baseball had a "gentleman's agreement" in place which denied Black players a chance to play. When Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he essentially broke the color barrier and forever changed the game. Curt Flood is not as well-known as Ruth or Robinson; however, his impact on MLB is just as important. When Flood refused a trade in 1969, he essentially changed how baseball teams treated player contracts. This virtual discussion will focus on these three players as well as a few others. Following the presentation will be a Q & A session.

About the speaker.  Jason Love lives in New Jersey. He has a history degree from West Chester University. Jason has always enjoyed studying history and especially baseball history. He works for Rutgers University-Camden and also gives lectures on baseball at libraries, senior communities, and local colleges. His website is talkingbaseballwithjasonlove.wordpress.com.

Register on the Kemmerer Library's website to receive the Zoom link.