Branch Rickey by Jimmy Breslin

Branch Rickey Jimmy Breslin

This is the Jackie Robinson story, but told about the leadership and drive of Branch Rickey to make the integration of baseball into a reality.  Rickey was financially tightfisted, but otherwise progressive.  He was a baseball man and led the St Louis Cardinals before taking over the Brooklyn Dodgers and bringing in Jackie Robinson followed by Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe to force integration on the major leagues.  Later he would be at Pittsburgh when Elroy Face and Mazeroski brought in the pennant against the mighty Yankees.

He was willing to experiment and he was always watching for an edge.  He was an amazing executive and this book is written by a classic baseball writer.  It is not personal, some nice interesting stories that give a clue about Rickey and he is was, but even the historical materials were about Rickey playing ball.  But Breslin like the old writers knew what he wanted to tell – it was the baseball story.  

The idea of integrating baseball began as a dream in the mind of Branch Rickey. In 1947, as president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he defied racism on and off the field to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, changing the sport and the nation forever. Rickey's is the classic American tale of a poor boy from Ohio whose deep-seated faith and dogged work ethic took him to the pinnacle of success, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame and in history. Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jimmy Breslin is a legend in his own right. In his inimitable anecdotal style, he provides a lively portrait of Rickey and his times, including such colorful characters as Dodgers' owner George V. McLaughlin (dubbed "George the Fifth" for his love of Scotch); diamond greats Leo Durocher, George Sisler, and Dizzy Dean; and Robinson himself, a man whose remarkable talent was equaled only by his resilience in the face of intolerance. Breslin brings to life the heady days when baseball emerged as the national pastime in this inspiring biography of a great American who remade a sport---and dreamed of remaking a country.