Today is nothing to do with needlepoint…so sorry! You know that’s how I came up with the name of the blog, mostlyneedlepoint as most of the time I will talk about needlepoint. Sometimes its my cats, sometimes it’s something else and sometimes it baseball.
April 15th is the day that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball and started playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was quite a hero and a very brave soul. I heard that he endured much, but never did I realize what he really went through till I saw this movie. Today is the 66th anniversary of that day and…well read more about it. It was a pleasure to meet Wendell Smith in the movie, who I had never ever heard of before. A black sportswriter who had to sit along the 3rd base lines with his manual typewriter atop his knees, because he was barred from the press box because of the color of his skin.
In the movie I met Jackie’s wife Rachel and baseball greats such as Branch Rickey, PeeWee Reese, Leo Durocher and so many more hallowed names. I remember hearing and reading about them. I did go and see the movie on Friday. I am not a big movie goer, but every once in a while I do. If I don’t go right away, it never happens! Hollywood was surprised about how well it did this opening weekend, a movie aimed at the “geriatric moviegoer”…which the industry defines that as any movie goer over the age of 25. Thanks Hollywood…didn’t think I was that old.
Towards the end of the movie, one of Jackie’s teammates says maybe someday everyone will wear 42. Well today is the day that every player in baseball wears the hallowed number on their jersey to honor Jackie Robinson. Other than 1 player, which is Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, the number 42 is retired across baseball. There will be many special ceremonies on the fields today, too. I will be home watching baseball today off and on, starting with the early morning Patriot’s Day Game at Fenway Park and finishing up with the Dodgers honoring Jackie Robinson. How did I become such a baseball aficionado? You know what, I have no idea whatsoever!
You know there are wonderful pleasures and many challenges when you have the opportunity of working at home. A great thing was that I was able to sneak away for a few hours to see “42” on Friday.
Now this is a challenge. I am trying to work on a stitch guide for Needlepoint Now. So where do you think that AlleyCat decides to park herself?
Sylvester’s not much better while I am trying to chart for a stitch guide for my class in Dallas! and until next time…keep on stitching
Can’t wait to see the movie, especially with your wonderful review! And my cats are very enthralled with my needlework too, especially when they want the sweater I’m knitting to cover them while on my lap or thinking the beautiful silk thread I’m using on a canvas is their play toy! Gotta love ’em. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing about your cats Sharon! The movie is great…makes you want to stand up and cheer at times!
I think we will have to go see this movie now, especially since we fall into that ‘geriatric’ category! Ha! I guess we threw them for a loop when we went to see all of the Harry Potter movies when we obviously are not kids! But seriously, this should be a great movie and I love movies about baseball anyway.
Great movie and I would go and see it again!
Shame on those Hollywood types for branding this wonderful movie ‘for senior citizens’- there is a message here for Americans of every age. This was one of the ‘beginnings’ of the end, of an unspeakable social injustice of this country. Every person in America should take a moment today to say ‘thank you’ to those people who had the courage to make the move to cross that line – thank you Mr. Robinson, you have a special place in our history!