Jackie: Perspectives on 42

No one can doubt the immense courage shown by Jackie Robinson when he took his position at Ebbets Field on Tuesday afternoon, April 15, 1947. The first play of the game was a ground ball to third base, and Robinson, playing first, took the throw to make the first putout.

It wasn't just the one moment that was important, of course, but the ongoing significance of his presence on the field. Robinson was the first Black American to play what was then defined as major-league baseball at a time w...