Major League Friendship duffel bag, and was looking for a leagues. The Dodger fans quickly gration has had a much longer evo­ locker and over came Jackie embraced Jackie. With opponents lution than it had on the playing Robinson. He stuck out his hand in the stands in various places field. So, I think sports, particularly with a big smile and said, “I told you, around the league, it took a little baseball, is absolutely the epitome of you wouldn’t be down there very bit longer. In Saint Louis, for affirmative action. Jackie was given long.” These were our initial meet­ instance, the crowds were still seg­ the chance then. When he was put ings, and Jackie and I became very regated in those days. They had the on the field and the ball was hit to close friends. Even in our post-play­ black fans sitting in the outfield him, nobody could help him. He had ing days, we continued to write each pavilion and the white fans in the to perform, and he did. When he other and occasionally did some regular stands. And it was almost did, he was very well accepted. That’s functions together. incidental what the score was some- the way to do it. Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey watches as Jackie Robinson signs Among Erskine’s teammates were (left to right) Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, his contract with the team, 24 January 1950. Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, and Gil Hodges. All but Hodges are Hall of Famers. RLG: There are a lot of stories about times. It was—what did Jackie do? RLG: You had some southern boys Jackie Robinson experiencing racial If he booted a ball, the white stands on the Dodger teams in those years. discrimination in 1947. By 1948, had would erupt, or if he struck out or I remember Preacher Roe, Dixie some of that subsided? Did you still something. But if he made a great Walker, and Pee Wee Reese. Did see some evidence that he was being play, got a hit, stole a base, the black they have more difficulty accepting discriminated against throughout crowd just went crazy. Jackie than the ballplayers from the the league? The hotels, the transportation, the North? Erskine: I was always proud of base­ restaurants took a lot longer to evolve Erskine: I think they did because in ball that it set the stage and put the into total acceptance. I remember the clubhouse and on the field is components together to allow this the Chase Hotel in Saint Louis was one thing. But when those players first step toward true integration in the favorite hotel of the players. They would go to their respective homes our country. We’d had this tradi­ always voted on hotels every year, and in the South, they had to answer, tional separation, not only in the the Chase was the most favored. It “Are you playing with this guy? H e’s South, but pretty much across the was the last hotel, however, to accept a teammate? You mean you dress in whole country. It was simply less black players. Even then, in the mid­ the same place? You mean you eat obvious in the North. But by 1948, dle fifties, the Chase would allow the in the same place?” et cetera. They when I joined the team, Jackie had black players to stay, but they had to had to face all that. Their upbring­ been voted rookie of the year. So he take their meals in their rooms. They ing was so different and the had quickly proved himself on the couldn’t eat in the dining room. ingrained feelings were so different field, both to the players that he They did this for a few more years that it had to be tougher. played with and against. It d id n ’t before that barrier finally came down. Dixie Walker was one of the take any of those guys long to know That seems strange in the nineties, most popular players in Brooklyn. that this guy belonged in the big but the social acceptance of inte- You may recall they called him the 4 2 TRACES.