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Jackie Robinson: Montreal Royals
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In 1946, in Jackie Robinson's first year with the Montreal Royals, the fans yelled racial slurs at him on and off the field. Pitchers intentionally threw at him while he was at bat. In Indianapolis, Jackie was not allowed to play because a local law prohibited interracial competition.
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On April 18, 1946 in a crowded Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, Jackie Robinson became the first Black athlete to play for a minor league team. With an impressive hitting display: a three run homerun, a solid single, two bunt singles, and speed that led to 2 stolen bases and two balks home, the rookie second baseman and the Montreal Royals beat the hometown Giants 14 -1.
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One of the reasons the stadium is named for Jackie Robinson is because Daytona Beach was the first Florida city to let Robinson play in during the 1946 season's Spring Training. The Triple-A Montreal Royals, which Robinson was playing for, was in-state to play an exhibition against their parent club, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Both Jacksonville and Sanford refused to let the game go on due to segregation laws. Daytona Beach was the first to permit the game to be played, and it was played on March 17, 1946. This led to his ultimately breaking the color line in 1947, the year he joined the Dodgers. The refusal by Jacksonville in particular, previously the Dodgers' spring training home, led the Dodgers to host Spring Training at the park in 1947, and built Dodgertown in Vero Beach for the 1948 season.
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Montréal may not have been free of racism in 1946, but Jackie Robinson and his wife Rachel were always thankful for the generosity and enthusiasm that they received there. According to the Royals' popular French-Canadian pitcher, Jean-Pierre Roy, Robinson often said that he would never have made it without the inspiration he got from the Montréal fans. "He loved the city," recalls Roy.
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Shuba is recognized often for being in one of the most famous photographs taken of Jackie Robinson. After the Montreal Royals wrapped up spring training in Daytona Beach, the team went north to play its regular minor league season opening game in Jersey City, New Jersey. The legendary picture shows Shuba shaking Robinson's hand as he was crossing home plate, after Jackie had hit his first minor league home run. That handshake is recognized often by historians as the first interracial handshake in professional baseball action, becoming one of the symbols of efforts to break the game's color barrier at that time.
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A storm of controversy follows the signing of Jackie Robinson as the Royals' second baseman. As he tours with the Royals, Robinson is subjected to jeers and even death threats. But at home in Montreal, considered by many to be the most cosmopolitan and tolerant city in North America, Robinson is mostly welcomed with open arms. He returns the favour on April 18, 1946 with a stupendous first game.
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