It was with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers that Jackie Robinson made his debut in the major leagues and broke the long standing color barrier.
Few teams in the history of sports have aroused as much passion in their fans as the Brooklyn Dodgers. A native of Brooklyn myself, I grew up hearing my uncle and his friends talk endlessly of afternoons at Ebbets Field. Their reaction to the Dodgers deserting them for the bright lights of Los Angeles in 1958 is comparable only to Browns fans after the departure of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season. In their eyes, tradition and passion were being traded for the lure of bigger money.
The 1950s were the era of "Dem Bums," the famous Dodgers squads that made regular World Series appearances, only to be undone by their archnemesis, the New York Yankees... except in 1955 when the Dodgers finally conquerered the world. It was more than just a championship. This was a moment of pure clarity... a religious moment... Brooklyn's only world championship.