By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Ted Reinstein, journalist, author, and speaker, captivated his audience at the Sherborn Public Library on Thursday, June 29, with an historical presentation based on his book, Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier. Reinstein, a member of WCVB’s Chronicle team, spoke with contagious enthusiasm about his research on the history of how black players came to play in Major League Baseball.
The league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day each year on April 15 to commemorate the day in 1947 that Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Reinstein explained that many consider Robinson to be the first black player to play in Major League Baseball, but the very first was actually Moses Fleetwood Walker, who signed with the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884.
Reinstein reflected that there are many historical events or advances in society that we think we understand. Over time, we lose elements of the story or knowledge of the many people or groups who played an important role. His inspiration in choosing a topic for a new research project is the excitement of recovering the lost details of the story.
Reinstein went on to trace the fascinating story of baseball’s integration. Moses Fleetwood Walker played in his first major league game in 1884, about 20 years after the Civil War. Due to superstar player Cap Anderson’s loud objections to playing with black players, the league voted to segregate in 1887, as Jim Crow laws spread in the United States. Reinstein then detailed the involvement of the remarkable people and events that led to Jackie Robinson’s playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Read Reinstein’s book to journey with him through the years and learn the interesting parts of the story that have been lost to time.
Ted Reinstein’s other books include New England’s General Stores; New England Notebook: One Reporter, Six States, Uncommon Stories; and Wicked Pissed: New England’s Most Famous Feuds.
