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Jackie Robinson Broke the Color Barrier in 1947, But He Did Not End Discrimination

By Steve Herl

Jul 6, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former shortstop Maury Wills throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 6, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former shortstop Maury Wills throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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In 1947, Jackie Robinson changed baseball forever. Fifteen years later in 1962, five years after Robinson retired, Maury Wills discovered that discrimination was still alive.

Maury Wills was born on October 2, 1932 in Washington, D.C. Maurice Morning Wills was the seventh of 13 children born to the Rev. Guy O. and Mabel Wills in a poor section of town near what would become RFK Stadium. He loved sports and became an All-City pitcher for Cardozo High School where he was known as Sonny. In fact, in the 1949-50 school year Sonny Wills was named All-City in football, basketball and baseball.

In 1951, Maury Wills began playing minor league baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, following in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. Wills spent eight years in the Dodgers minor league system before making his Major League debut in 1959. At 5′ 11″ and 170 pounds, Maury Wills was not a physical specimen but his speed on the base paths made him very special. In fact, only three years later in 1962 he was named to the All-Star Game and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

The 1962 All-Star Game

Being named to play in the 1962 All-Star Game was especially sweet for Maury because the game was to be played in his hometown of Washington, D.C.  According to Bill Littlefield’s segment on WBUR, titled “Dodgers Great Maury Wills and the All-Star Game He Nearly Missed”, Wills spent the time before the game with family and friends and arrived at D.C. Stadium, later to be known as RFK Stadium, alone. He had grown up only blocks away from the stadium. Wills was going to break Ty Cobb‘s single-season stolen base record by stealing 104 bases. He would be named National League Most Valuable Player at year’s end, but he had a problem. As told by Michael Leahy, author and Washington Post writer, in Bill Littlefield’s segment, this is what happened:

"“When he arrived at the players’ entrance, he encountered a security guard, gave his name, Maury Wills, the Los Angeles Dodgers, a member of the National League All-Star squad,” Leahy said. “The guard didn’t believe him, didn’t believe he was Maury Wills, despite the fact that Maury was carrying his Los Angeles Dodgers blue-colored equipment bag, and refused him entry. He can still see the security guard, still hear his voice, in his words can hear the tone of his voice.”“Get outta here. I’m not gonna say it again,” the security guard said. “You don’t belong here, boy.  “I’m a player,” Wills responded.  “I told you to move, boy,” the guard said. “A panicked Maury, at some point during the conversation, saw the then Cincinnati Reds’ great outfielder Frank Robinson and called out to him in an effort to get Frank to say to the security guard, ‘Yes, I know him. That’s indeed a player on our team,'” Leahy explained. “And Maury called out, the security guard wheeled to Robinson and said, ‘Do you know this guy?’ And Frank responded, ‘Never seen this guy in my life.'”"

The MVP

Ultimately, Maury Wills got into the stadium with an assist from a National League official. In the seventh inning he pinch-ran for Stan Musial, stole two bases, scored two runs and had a single in a 3-1 National League victory. He was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player as President John F. Kennedy applauded at his every move.

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Maury Wills always thought the security guard treated him the way he did because Wills was black. No one can know for sure if the guard was just doing his job. But even after Jackie Robinson endured endless humiliation and ill treatment, discrimination still persisted well into the 1960s and beyond.  We can only hope that someday we will truly be color blind and everyone will be treated with respect and honor in the same way that we celebrate the life of Jackie Robinson.

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