JACKIE ROBINSON'S POCKET BASEBALL GAME

Published by Advertising Services Division, Inc., New York City, 1950. Offset lithograph on paper board, printed in red, green and black ink, with metallic dials, slide indicators and scoring spools, 6.5" x 4.5" card that folds open to reveal 6.5" x 9" baseball game field. The cover shows Jackie Robinson at the plate waiting for a pitch, the inside shows rotating playing wheel and pointer to indicate innings, balls, strikes, outs, and score for visiting and home teams, and the back cover shows game instructions and Jackie Robinson's facsimile signature. EXCELLENT CONDITION: stored away for 75 years and probably never played, all wheels, arrows and sliders function and move freely, none are seized or bound, just light signs of age, including a bit of light toning to the margins, a touch of rust on the metal dials and light offsetting from the rust. A complete, solid, bright and unmarked copy, very uncommon, especially so in this condition.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) broke the color barrier and became the first African American athlete in modern history to play for a major league baseball team. Once he slipped on jersey # 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became a civil rights icon and one of the most integral figures in American sports history, Robinson won the National League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards during a 10 year career that led to a first ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. After he retired from baseball, Robinson became more active in the civil rights movement.

Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was drafted into military service in 1942 and eventually joined the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers. He was court-martialed in July 1944 after refusing an order by a driver to move to the back of an Army bus. Robinson was acquitted and coached Army athletics teams until his honorable discharge in November 1944. Robinson remains an icon in MLB and every year on April 15 the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, honoring his debut with the Dodgers.