# Bud Selig & Jackie Robinson Day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 17, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302 "2014-04-17T01:37:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/41 "2014-04-18T05:06:14Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think **Marley** ’s point is that this logic is equally applicable to anyone who was a civil rights pioneer. MLK dedicated his life to ending racial discrimination by the American government. Is it, therefore, inappropriate for the American government to have MLK Day, given that it was that government that was creating the obstacles MLK was struggling against? If not, how is that situation different from how Major League Baseball is honoring Robinson? I…see your point. I saw it as a case of “there was no color line, then there was, then there was no longer”, but the more I think about it, I think that applies to discrimination across the board. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/42 "2014-04-18T15:06:53Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think **Marley** ’s point is that this logic is equally applicable to anyone who was a civil rights pioneer. MLK dedicated his life to ending racial discrimination by the American government. Is it, therefore, inappropriate for the American government to have MLK Day, given that it was that government that was creating the obstacles MLK was struggling against? If not, how is that situation different from how Major League Baseball is honoring Robinson? > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I…see your point. > > I saw it as a case of “there was no color line, then there was, then there was no longer”, but the more I think about it, I think that applies to discrimination across the board. This is exactly what I was saying. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/43 "2014-04-18T16:07:54Z")
Here’s an interesting insight into the era. [Here](http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article) is the NY Times article on Robinson being called up to the majors. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/44 "2014-04-19T06:23:34Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Selig says that the DH has not been ruled out forever for the N. That is a literal interpretation of the Official Rules, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/45 "2014-04-19T08:43:53Z")
Word around the campfire (no site, just talk) is that MLB is going to expand the number of teams in the payoffs, even more. Think NHL/NBA. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/46 "2014-04-19T13:37:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > But particularly in a time when fewer black kids are playing baseball, I think it meant more when Ken Griffey Jr. and a handful of other guys were wearing that jersey. It’s not something I’d lose any sleep over, but I think it’s sort of confused. Griffey never wore #42. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/47 "2014-04-19T13:42:56Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Griffey never wore #42. Uh, yeah, actually he [kinda sorta did.](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=sea&content_id=28516476&vkey=news_sea&ymd=20120412) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/48 "2014-04-19T13:51:29Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Word around the campfire (no site, just talk) is that MLB is going to expand the number of teams in the payoffs, even more. Think NHL/NBA. :dubious: They just expanded the playoffs last year by adding the second wild card. I don’t think they’re expanding beyond that any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/49 "2014-04-19T14:34:29Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Uh, yeah, actually he [kinda sorta did.](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=sea&content_id=28516476&vkey=news_sea&ymd=20120412) Interesting article. I either never knew or forgot it started with Griffey. I move that the Mods close this thread so the OP can open one pitting Ken Griffey Jr. All in favor? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/50 "2014-04-19T21:29:50Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > They just expanded the playoffs last year by adding the second wild card. I don’t think they’re expanding beyond that any time soon. Agreed, it won’t happen tomorrow. From what I read, and I don’t remember where, is that the recent expansion was so successful that they may expand it further. Again, no time frame given. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/51 "2014-04-20T17:44:44Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Agreed, it won’t happen tomorrow. From what I read, and I don’t remember where, is that the recent expansion was so successful that they may expand it further. Again, no time frame given. “No time frame given” means there’s no plan to do it. Of course it COULD happen, just as it could happen that MLB could add some expansion teams. At this point however MLB is already quite aware of the fact that the three-round playoff system has become a problem in terms of weather and early-season attendance. It is worth noting that Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut in 1947 on an Opening Day that fell on April 15. That year he also played in the last game of the MLB season, Game 7 of the World Series, on October 6. These days, by April 15 most teams have played 10-12 games by then, and the World Series doesn’t end up the end of October. In cold weather cities without domes - Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland, Boston, et al. - that can play hell with scheduling and can depress attendance in early April. There is no practical way to compress the season (they don’t want doubleheaders.) Recent World Series have been noteworthy for their horrible weather. So if you went to the NBA/NHL 16-team format, you’ve got to either start in March or play into November, which MLB doesn’t want, or shorten the regular season, which they definitely do not want. You could shorten the first two series, but no one wants that. Until they can solve those problems it is very, very unlikely to happen. Adding the “wild card game” is just one game and isn’t really a big deal since the schedule was already structured to account for one-game playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/52 "2014-04-20T17:50:20Z")
[quote=“Spiderman, post:1, topic:686302”] [li]Moving ‘his’ team to the NL & then **moving the Astros to the AL** [/li][/QUOTE] For this alone, he should be tarred and feathered. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302/53 "2014-04-20T17:50:56Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Uh, yeah, actually he [kinda sorta did.](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=sea&content_id=28516476&vkey=news_sea&ymd=20120412) My mistake. I thought whoever posted that meant he wore #42 regularly like Mariano Rivera and Mo Vaughn did. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bud-selig-jackie-robinson-day/686302.md?page=2)