Evening star., 1945-10-24
Dodgers Front Office
Won Duck Trouble,
Ayers Hickey, Jr.
BY SID FEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

mSlN ! ktGS<a6, Wv. SE' AfS00AAb
for the Brooklyn ball club, Branch
hickey, jr., said today the Dodgers
may have the alligator by the tail
in signing the first Negro player
ever admitted to organized base
ball, but If troubles ahead I'VE
won't avoid It,"
Hiring Jackie Robinson, ex-U. @.
l.. A. football ace and United States
Army lieutenant, to do his l946
Unfolding for the Dodgers Inter-
national League farm-the Mon
treal Royals-the son Of the Brook
lyn president predicted 1t even
may cost the Brooklyn organization
a number Of ball players"
"But even II some players quit"
the Dodger farm system director
added as he reviewed the possible
reactions Of players and fans at
the surprise signing here last night,
they'll be back after q year or
two in a cotton mill"
Earlier-before coming out flatly
with the statement that his father
and Royals President Hector Ra-
cine aren't inviting trouble, but
won't avoid it"-young hickey went
over with Robinson all that the
Negro shortstop's entry into organ
lied baseball might imply. He ex-
planned that there might be dim
culties for the quiet 6-foot, l90-
FOUNDER from both players and fans
alike in some quarters. He reviewed
preiudices that exist in certain Sec
tions.
"I realize what I'm going into"
Robinson said sincerely. I also
realize how much it means to me,
to nv race and to baseball. I'm
very happy over this chance, and
can say only I'll do my very best to
come through in every manner
Hickey Hunts Three Years.
Brought up from the Kansas City
Negro Monarchs, which he joined
after leaving the Army last spring,
Robinson represents s25 900, three
wear hunt by Branch Hickey, ST., for
Negro talent good enough to bring
into the Brooklyn system, particu-
larly as high as double-A ball.
| According to the word around the
Royals bailiwick here, he Is only
one of about a couple of dozen
Negro players Rickey's scouts have
rounded up after hunting through
much of Latin America as well as
the United States.
Robinson was brought into Brook
lyn last August 29, accepted terms
and agreed to sign before November
/, the first contract ever given a
Negro player. Just what the terms
were no one admitted here last
night, but from Racine 1t was
Learned the Dodgers also threw in
good bonus for Robinson's sig
nature. He will join the Royals
next spring when they open train
ing, possibly at Daytona, Fla. If
they return to their prewar workout
grounds. A shortstop this year,
Robinson explained he's also at
home on first or second.
Apparently no one in baseball
knew Just what the elder Hickey or
his scouts were up to as they secured
the countryside. hickey, sr., hao
helped organize the United States
Negro League, with the Brooklyn
Brown Dodgers in Flatbush, and his
ivory-hunting operatives went about
their search behind the smokescreen
of looking for negro players for that
club.
Three Scouts Recommended Him.
Last spring three different scouts
sent in hot" wires urging THE
Deacon" to hire the shortstop of the
Kansas City Monarchs. Now Hickey
was ready to revolutionize baseball
for the second time in his career
with an even more spectacular step
than the one he took in 1920 when
he came up with the chain store
| system Of developing talent.
Last nights actual signing came
as complete surprise. Even the
local baseball writer's, who were in.
/ formed at 2 pm, that there would
be an announcement of "a big story
at 5 pm, couldn't guess close to it
One scribe, writing quick advancs
story for his papers deadline before
i 5 o'clock, even guessed that thu
announcement would be either "ths
hiring of Babe Ruth" to replac,
Bruno Bethel as Royal manager o.
word that Montreal might become
4 a major league baseball town."
i Young Hickey foresaw that hi,
father and Racine undoubtedly vii
be severely criticized in some sec.
tions of the country. where racia
lprejudice is rampant"
Some players, particularly if the.
come from certain sections of thl
South" he said, will steer ava,
, from a club with colored player
. on its roster. But Robinson come
| highly recommended by our scout,
and is fine type of young man."
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