Here’s a little baseball trivia for you on a spring Tuesday. Kirby Higbe was a starting pitcher in the majors in the 1940s. He was also an opponent of integration — which is why, when Jackie Robinson (the first black ballplayer in the modern era) was about to join the Brooklyn Dodgers, Higbe demanded a trade, and he got one. He ended up on the Pirates. But Higbe couldn’t avoid Robinson for very long. On July 15, 1948, Higbe pitched a game against Robinson and the Dodgers. Maybe coincidentally — but probably not — Higbe hit one batter that game: Jackie Robinson. And it turned out to be a costly move, in the context of the game; Robinson went on to advance to third base, then steal home plate, helping the Dodgers beat the Pirates, 7 to 6.
For Jackie Robinson, these kinds of cheap shots were common. He was often harassed on and off the field because of his skin color. That was…
