Papi Chulo's BLOG

JACKIE ROBINSON DAY!

Jackie Robinson Day was started in 2004 to honor the enduring impact of Robinson and his legacy as the first Black player to break the Major League color barrier ...

Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 at Ebbets Field ... In 1997 to honor the 50th Anniversary of Robinson's legacy ... Robinson's uniform number 42 was retired throughout the Major Leagues ...

In 1973 Robinson's widow ... Rachel Robinson ... founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation to provide education and leadership development opportunities for minority students with strong capabilities but limited financial resources ...

For more information on the Jackie Robinson Foundation ... Visit JackieRobinson.org ...

~Papi Chulo~

President Bush Booed At Washington Nationals Baseball Game

President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Sunday's Washington Nationals season opener ... But I don't think he got the kind of reaction from the crowd he was expecting ...

The president was booed by the 41,000 sold-out crowd as he walked out to throw the first pitch ...

Here is the clip ...

~Papi Chulo~

In the News :: Barry Bonds Indicted

Baseball's career home run record breaker ... Barry Bonds ... was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on Thursday ... The charges stem from allegedly lying under oath to a federal grand jury that was investigating the use of steroids among professional athletes ...

In 2003 ... Barry Bonds stated that he had never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs in front of a grand jury ... Bonds' indictment follows a four-year investigation into steroid use by top athletes ...

~Papi Chulo~

A-Rod Drops Yankees and $72 Million

In a move that ends four uneven seasons with the Yankees ... Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees ... With that move ... A-Rod forfeited $72 million he was owed over the final three seasons of his mammoth $252 million ... 10-year deal ... which he signed before the 2001 season ...

The New York Yankees ... which failed to make the World Series in all of Rodriguez's seasons ... has said it would not try to negotiate a new deal with A-Rod if he opted out of his current contract ...

Hank Steinbrenner (son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner): "No chance. Not if it's made official (filing letters on opting out)."

The Yankees were preparing to offer A-Rod a four or five-year extension to his current contract ... estimated to be worth between $25 and $30 million annually ... and had hoped to meet with A-Rod to present the offer ...

George Steinbrenner: "It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee. He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field."

~Papi Chulo~

Race and Ethnicity III: Barry Bonds is a Jerk ?!?

[Note :: This BLOG was originally written before Barry Bonds surpassed the career home run record.]

I am not a huge baseball fan ... I may not follow the game as an avid fan would ... but unless you are living under a tree ... you know that Barry Bonds is about to break a very massive record ... He is on the cusp of breaking Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755 ...

Ok ... so why is this a topic for my Race and Ethnicity series ???  Because 60 years after baseball integration ... Black and white fans live in separate and unequal territories ... Here is some evidence ...