Today in Labor History, October 30, 1945: Jackie Robinson signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the baseball color line in Major League Baseball. His first game with the Dodgers was in April, 1947. Robinson was an accomplished athlete, becoming the first student at UCLA to win letters in 4 different sports (baseball, basketball, football and track). Though he only played MLB for 10 seasons, he was MLB’s first Rookie of the Year, was a 6-time All-Star, and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. He also played in six World Series. In response to racist protests by his teammates, manager Leo Durocher said, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." Robinson’s teammate and fellow hall-of-famer Pee Wee Reese said, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them."

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