Tag: Howard Bryant

Day 6 of 2026 baseball book reviews: When Jack was rooked

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“Kings and Pawns:
Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America”


The author: Howard Bryant
The details: Mariner Books/HarperCollins, 320 pages, $32, released Jan. 20, ’26
The links: Publisher site, author website, Bookshop.org

“Royal Treatment:
Jackie Robinson, Montreal,
and the Breaking of Baseball’s Color Barrier”


The author: Sean J. McLaughlin 
The details: University of Nebraska Press, 296 pages, $36.95, released April 1, ’26
The links: Publishers website, Bookshop.org

A Jack Robinson Day preamble

Only a year ago, as we rounded up the book reviews for Jack Robinson MLB Appreciation Day — or however they’re selling it — the disgust over crude governmental redaction of all things DEI was front and center. It may seem like such a long time has passed. But it’s still lingering.

What would Jack Robinson had done if he was invited with the Dodgers’ championship team to be vetted in the Trump White House? What would his reaction be if he saw that a bio on his World War II military requirement that’s heralding him on the U.S. Department of Defense’s website had been taken down “by mistake” during a Trump-mandated cleansing history.

What could the Dodgers players do, as they were being “honored” for their 2024 World Series triumph, in protest to mark the occasion — all wear No. 42 jerseys? Give Trump a 42 jersey?

It was all the wishy-washy white washing that was abhorrent, and called out.

The irony of this public service announcement is positioning Jackie Robinson next to Bob Feller. In 1947, Feller, an established star pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, publicly expressed skepticism about Robinson’s ability to succeed in the major leagues, predicting he would not be able to hit elite pitching. Feller later observed Robinson with admiration for his courage and composure under extreme pressure, acknowledging his tremendous impact on the game. They were inducted together in the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1962.

When the Dodgers were recently in DC-adjacent territory over the Easter weekend to face the Washington Nationals, they said “a scheduling conflict” precluded them from making a Trump/Easter Egg roll re-visit to mark their 2025 title. Maybe they’ll reconnect sometime later in the season when some of the push back dies down. Hopefully not.

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