A big day in Indians history
Today is the anniversary of Frank Robinson first game as the first black manager in major-league history. On this day in 1975, in the Indians home opener, Robinson debuted as the Tribe’s player-manager.
As Indians fans everywhere know, Robinson, the designated hitter, hit a home run in his first at-bat and helped beat the New York Yankees, 5-3.
We still remember listening to the game on the radio while playing baseball with our friends (not to sound all fake nostalgic or anything) and that day still stands out as one of our top Opening Day memories of the Indians.
You can read The Plain Dealer‘s game story here, the front page of the Sports section from that day is here.
And look at that lineup! Charlie Spikes batting cleanup? How did that team end up winning 79 games?
Here’s an article from Sports Illustrated from October 1974, after Robinson had been named manager, where he talks about the historic decision.
It seems strange today to think that this was ever an issue, but the fact that the Indians took a chance on Robinson, the same way they did with Larry Doby in 1947, gives us another reason to believe Cleveland is an OK place.
***
Of course, that feeling is tempered a bit when we read stories about the city actually working to drive businesses out of town, as the owner of the popular food truck Dim and Den Sum says he will soon be out of business if the city doesn’t change a law that bans food trucks from operating downtown.
“We probably have about four weeks of operating left if we can’t service highly populated lunch places,” owner Chris Hodgson told The Plain Dealer.
Hodgson has a second truck on order for a new business that will serve gourmet tacos. He said he hopes to employ as many as 20 people once both trucks are operating.
Apparently creating jobs is no longer a priority in Cleveland. Good to know.
Maybe Hodgson should have said he was going to open a casino. Because that apparently is the type of business city officials have no problem with.
Red Right 88 