Like all of you, life is different right now. With lots of time to read, I stumbled across an article yesterday that reminded me 1) of Coach Myles and 2) that with little fanfare this year, Jackie Robinson day has come and gone.
Readers of Myles Traveled will know the part that Jackie Robinson played in the life of a young Billy Myles. And they will revel in the memories of the stories – both humorous and serious – that Bill told in the book about his interactions with a young Jackie Robinson and the Kansas City Monarchs.
The article on the MLB Website – Why Jackie Robinson Still Matters – explains the larger role that Jackie played not just in Bill’s life but in the Journey of America. As I read the article, and the history of how Jackie Robinson Day developed, I realized that when Bill and I first started working on his story, the practice of every Major Leaguer wearing “42” on April 15th had not yet been established. It brought me back to the day I learned Jackie’s story from Bill holding court at that card table in his family room. And it reminded me of Bill’s line in our book – “I knew Jackie before Jackie was cool.”
You can read why Jackie still matters at:
