Biggest Surprises from this documentary...
The fact that Jackie's brother ran in the 1936 Olympics and came in second to Jesse Owens.
shareThe fact that Jackie's brother ran in the 1936 Olympics and came in second to Jesse Owens.
shareI actually knew that about his brother. I didn't remember as much information about his political life, however. I remember learning about the campaigning but not the details and the eventual switch to a vote for Kennedy.
Also, I have so much appreciation for his wife. What an amazing life she lived with Jackie. And at 93, she's a treasure.
I actually knew that about his brother. I didn't remember as much information about his political life, however. I remember learning about the campaigning but not the details and the eventual switch to a vote for Kennedy.
Also, I have so much appreciation for his wife. What an amazing life she lived with Jackie. And at 93, she's a treasure.
Yup, I knew about his brother Mack, but that's the kind of thing you'd only find in his written biographies. I don't think they mentioned it, but he had another brother Frank who was killed in a vehicular accident (motorcycle? auto? can't remember) in the 1930s that kind of paralleled the death of his own son many years later.
shareAnother surprise is that the Peewee Reese story is a myth.
May you receive all that Karma has to offer.
I don't think the story is a complete myth - I do think it was researched/reported incorrectly.
I have a copy of Jackie Robinson's autobiography and re-read it. Like they said in the documentary, I found no mention of it all during the 1947 road trip to Cincinnati. However... if you keep reading, you'll find out that Jackie says it *did* happen - but in 1948 in Boston and during several additional games thereafter.
(In my opinion) they called it a myth because they could find no mention or newspaper accounts. Part of the logic is that Pee Wee would have to go waaaaay over to first to put his arm around Jackie - it's just too far apart. However, between the 1947 and 1948 seasons, second baseman Eddie Stanky was traded and Robinson moved to second. Given the proximity between shortstop and second, the story is much more likely to be true in that setting.
So... did the "Pee Wee's arm around Jackie's shoulder" incident happen in 1947 in Cincinnati? Mmmm... Probably not. Or to be more accurate, it's not documented. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen at all. We've got Jackie's autobiography saying it *did* happen, but just in a different place and in the following season, so Ken Burns' research team probably didn't find it because they weren't looking in the right place.
I couldn't believe they didn't want to use the photo of them holding hands which is documented.
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