1947 Jackie Robinson Joins Brooklyn Dodgers Original News Photograph, PSA/DNA Type 1....

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Day one of the most important career in Major League history!

1947 Jackie Robinson Joins Brooklyn Dodgers Original News Photograph, PSA/DNA Type 1. Original paper caption on verso tells the historic tale: "So Long, Jackie! Clay Hopper (left), manager of the Montreal Royals of the International League, shakes hands April 10 with Jackie Robinson, Negro infielder at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, after Robinson donned a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. Robinsons contract held by the Royals, was purchased April 10 by the Dodgers, Associated Press Photo, 4.10.47."

Surely there had to be some mixed emotions for Hopper, who was losing his star player but blessed to be part of the most important transaction in the history of professional baseball. Hopper had grown up in Mississippi and fretted he'd never be able to return if he managed a team with Robinson upon Jackie's arrival in Montreal in 1946, telling Branch Rickey that his father would shoot him if he were still alive for managing a black ballplayer. But by the time the season was over, with Jackie helping lead the Royals to the 1946 International League championship, Hopper had been exorcised of his entrenched racism and warmly shook his star's hand, telling Robinson, "You're a great ballplayer and a fine gentleman. It's been wonderful having you on the team."

The dawning of Jackie Robinson's Major League career is properly considered a sacred occasion among hobbyists and the American sports world at large. This special photo derives from the very first day. This photo last sold at auction in July 2022 for $23,500. Dimensions 7x9". Fine condition. Encapsulated by PSA/DNA, Type 1.

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