A bill entered into Congress to make Daytona Beach’s Jackie Robinson Ballpark a National Commemorative Site has passed both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, placing it just one step away from becoming law. If signed by President Joe Biden, the legendary baseball park on Orange Ave will be close to being enshrined as a National Historic Landmark.
HR-8012, the bill which seeks to create the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site, was introduced into the House of Representatives by outgoing Congressman Michael Waltz (FL-6) with a bipartisan coalition of co-sponsors. Senator Marco Rubio, also leaving office soon, introduced a mirroring version for the Senate. Both chambers passed the bill, sending it to the desk of President Biden.
The Historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Jackie Robinson Ballpark was constructed in 1914 as City Island Ballpark, initially having only a field and a set of wooden bleachers. It played a key role in the athletic front of the Civil Rights Movement when Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in Major League Baseball, took the field in 1946 ahead of his MLB debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Previous attempts to host Robinson at facilities in Jacksonville and Sanford had failed due to racism by the city governments, while Daytona Beach decided to allow the historic integrated baseball games.
In the present day, Jackie Robinson Ballpark is host to two organized baseball teams. The Daytona Tortugas, Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats both play their home games at the park affectionately known as ‘The Jack’. The park was named after Robinson in honor of his groundbreaking achievements for Black athletes, and is currently the oldest continually used ballpark in Minor League Baseball.
Jackie Robinson’s Legendary Career
When Jackie Robinson was signed by Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey in 1945, he planned extensively to prepare his new player for the virulent racism toward interracial sports of that time. Robinson was assigned to the Class AAA Montreal Royals, the Minor League team one tier below the Brooklyn Dodgers, to start the 1945 season. The Royals’ manager attempted to petition Rickey not to put Robinson on his team, to no avail. Robinson joined the Royals’ Spring Training squad in Daytona Beach, getting him his start in the MLB pipeline. He’d been the first Black player to break the six-decade-old color barrier in the Minor Leagues, and he’d done so in Daytona.
In 1947, a year after Robinson’s time playing in Daytona Beach, he broke the MLB color barrier by playing first base for the Dodgers. He’d go on to win Rookie of the Year, and his stellar playing career established him as one of the greatest athletes of his era. His #42 is the only jersey number retired league-wide in the MLB.
