'Jackie Robinson': Race, Then & Now | National Catholic Reporter

'Jackie Robinson': Race, Then & Now | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Black lives matter is important not in relation to all lives (that is obvious - indeed, it makes the difficult claim that black lives matter as much as white lives - whihc is understoon) but to police power and to private property.  Black lives matter more than property, more than police power and as much as white lives.  Ethics 102.



The interesting thing about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier is that doing so crashed the Negro Leagues, which if the truth be told were better than the Major Leagues.  Satchel Page was probably the best base ball player ever, even though he did not play in the majors. His career matters more than most white baseball careers, though it was doomed when Robinson crossed the color line.  Indeed, the team name of the Kansas City Royals is an omage to the Monarchs, who Page pitched for.  One could argue that the reason the color line was allowed to be breached was because everyone in the major knew who played better baseball, and inclusion removed the better league.  It would have been interesting if the Negro Leagues had held fast and started to attract the best white players instead.