Today is Jackie Robinson Day 2019 – the 72nd anniversary of the breaking of the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

But don’t forget, Jackie was a Royal first! And not just a Montreal Royal. Here’s an excerpt from an article I wrote for the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Before Robinson was a Dodger, he was a Royal. And before he was a Royal, he was a Royal. A Kansas City Royal, that is. In the fall before he was to join the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers’ top farm club in the Class AAA International League, he barnstormed. To prepare for what was ahead, Robinson got his first taste of integrated pro ball by touring with Chet Brewer’s barnstorming team called the Kansas City Royals, an extension of the Monarchs.

To read the full article, click here.