On March 18, 1942, the White Sox were in position to change the course of baseball history but passed. On this date, White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes watched African American athletes Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland work out at his team’s spring training facility in Pasadena, California. According to Jules Tygiel’s 1983 book “Baseball’s Great Experiment,” Robinson, best known as a football star at UCLA, and Moreland, a Negro League pitcher, requested a tryout, which Dykes granted.

 

History tells us that nothing came of the tryout but Dykes, who stated he was willing to accept black players, was impressed even though Robinson was hobbled by a charley horse, according to Tygiel. “I’d hate to see him on two good legs,” Dykes said. “He’s worth $50,000 of anybody’s money. He stole everything but my infielders’ gloves.”

 

After a stint in the army and with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues and the minor league Montreal Royals, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with Brooklyn on this date in 1947. Robinson did not mention this tryout with the White Sox in his 1972 autobiography “I Never Had It Made,” Minnie Minoso broke the White Sox color barrier on May 1, 1951.

 

This item originally appeared on March 18 on www.whitesoxalmanac.com

Really interesting. Great post.

On March 18, 1942, the White Sox were in position to change the course of baseball history but passed. On this date, White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes watched African American athletes Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland work out at his team’s spring training facility in Pasadena, California. According to Jules Tygiel’s 1983 book “Baseball’s Great Experiment,” Robinson, best known as a football star at UCLA, and Moreland, a Negro League pitcher, requested a tryout, which Dykes granted.

 

History tells us that nothing came of the tryout but Dykes, who stated he was willing to accept black players, was impressed even though Robinson was hobbled by a charley horse, according to Tygiel. “I’d hate to see him on two good legs,” Dykes said. “He’s worth $50,000 of anybody’s money. He stole everything but my infielders’ gloves.”

 

After a stint in the army and with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues and the minor league Montreal Royals, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with Brooklyn on this date in 1947. Robinson did not mention this tryout with the White Sox in his 1972 autobiography “I Never Had It Made,” Minnie Minoso broke the White Sox color barrier on May 1, 1951.

 

This item originally appeared on March 18 on www.whitesoxalmanac.com

The other connection is of course that we had the only other player in MLB history to come from Cairo, GA. Another second baseman whose greatest claim to fame when it's all said and done will be having been the man to score the winning run in the 2005 World Series championship.

 

Nice article though. Joe Morgan was telling this story on the game last night on ESPN.

WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i believe the Sox had the 2nd African American coach behind Brooks Robinson....can't remember his name though

i believe the Sox had the 2nd African American coach behind Brooks Robinson....can't remember his name though

I bet Brooks would be surprised to hear THIS news.

 

FRANK Robinson, on the other hand, has known that he's African-American for a while now.

 

I bet Brooks would be surprised to hear THIS news.

 

FRANK Robinson, on the other hand, has known that he's African-American for a while now.

 

 

hahahha oops