Desegregation of Baseball Celebrated in Sachem

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was the first black baseball player in the modern era to play in the major leagues. His bravery, commitment, and unwavering strength and perseverance served as a precursor for the American Civil Rights Movement, helping to expose the ignorance of bigotry and hatred.

"He changed America and made it a better place," said Marino Amoruso, whose documentary Jackie Robinson: A Life Story was screened Wednesday evening at the Sachem Public Library. "The bottom line is this, without Jackie Robinson there is no Martin Luther King. Without Jackie Robinson there is no Civil Rights Movement and without Jackie Robinson there is no President Obama in the White House today."

Amoruso , who has written and directed over a dozen documentary films, fielded questions following the viewing of A Life Story, his second of three films he has written on the life of the Hall of Famer. Robinson earned the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and was recognized as the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1949. He played 10 seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, leading them to six World Series appearances, including the franchise's first World Championship in 1955.

"I never saw Jackie play; he retired many years before I was born," said Amoruso, who wore a classic Robinson throw-back jersey. "I grew up in a house full of Brooklyn Dodger fans and my father always told me 'Jackie Robinson was the most exciting player he ever saw.' I realized as I began reading about his life that what he did went far beyond baseball. I realized that there's no player in major league history who played under as much pressure as Jackie Robinson did."

Robinson excelled in sports from an early age, and during his time at UCLA he earned varsity letters in baseball, football, basketball and track. He went on to play for the Kansas City Monarchs for one season in the Negro Leagues, before he was discovered by Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson spent one season with the Dodgers' International League affiliate, the Montreal Royals, before debuting in the majors on April 15, 1947.

Breaking the color barrier was unheard of in the largely segregated United States, and Robinson was forced to endure years of emotional and physical abuse from prejudice fans and players. In 1948, in response to racial slurs being screamed at Robinson before a game in Cincinnati, Pee Wee Reese, a white teammate famously put his arm around Robinson, which quieted much of the uproar.

"Nobody had ever been under that kind of scrutiny before," said Amoruso. "Here is a black man, playing our national pastime, playing on a championship team in the biggest market in American. Jackie had a very explosive personality but he couldn't let it out because he knew if he did he would never be accepted by middle class America. He had to keep everything inside and that is what ultimately killed him."

Robinson died at 52, at his home in Stamford, Conn. of a massive heart attack. At the time of his death, Robinson's hair was completely white, and he had lost the sight in his left eye due to diabetes. It has been speculated that Robinson's heart attack was brought on by years of stress from being forced to maintain his composure, even while being brutally ridiculed.

Robinson's impact on not just baseball, but American culture is unparalleled. Every year on April 15, Major League Baseball commemorates Robinson's big league debut with Jackie Robinson Day. On this day every uniformed player, manager, coach and umpire dons the Hall of Famer's No. 42 jersey number, a number which was retired by all 30 ball clubs in 1997.   

The Sachem Public Library has featured several of Amoruso's pictures in its Meet the Filmmaker series, including his documentaries on musical icon Dean Martin and Yankee great Mickey Mantle. Amoruso, 55, is a Smithtown native and some of his other films include Joe DiMaggio: The Final Chapter, Sammy Davis, Jr.: One Cool Cat, and G.I. Joe: The Ernie Pyle Story, a documentary on the life of the legendary wartime correspondent.

"There's a lot of gratification being able to accomplish something that you've always wanted to do and to give recognition to a man that I've always admired," said Amoruso. "As a filmmaker, every time out your goal is to make the perfect film and it never comes out quite the way you picture it. If you ever make a film that you're totally satisfied with then it's time to find another profession."