Last night I was watching a program about the history of the Negro Leagues on the MLB Network. The talent of the players, prejudice they faced while traveling, thrills they experienced, devotion they showed, pride they had, and love of the game they expressed, were all described during the hour-long show.
Towards the end of the program Jackie Robinson's story was told. His feats in college, his military career during World War II, his Negro League exploits, his signing by Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers and time in Montreal (the Dodgers' AAA club), and, of course, his breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
What an incredible man he was. His leadership, both on and off the field, was amazing. How he put up with the prejudice (even on his own team), ethnic slurs, death threats to him and his family, and...the pressures of the game itself is almost beyond comprehension.
As the show concluded I was left to wonder how many people could have endured what he did? He was a man at the forefront of Civil Rights, forging the way for our country to mature, to accept people for who they were and how they acted, not because of their skin color, religion, ethnic group, or any other like catagory.
Jackie Robinson was the embodiment of leadership. He not only endured but excelled through extreme conditions. And...brought his team, the town they represented, the people who saw him as a hero, the entire country, and yes - the business of baseball as well, along with him to triumph against the odds.
Now that's leadership.
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