The story of Wendell
- Wendell Smith loved the game of baseball. Playing for over 17 years, his work culminated with the State Championship game in the 1930's.
- After pitching a perfect game, Smith was expected to become the first professional African American baseball player. However, Smith was not only passed over, but completely shut out of the MLB draft.
- He was famously told, “I wish I could sign you, but I can't,” in reference to the fact that scouts were forced to take an under-performing teammate, who was white, over Smith because of the color of his skin.
“ . . . I decided that if I ever got into a position to do anything, I'd dedicate my life to getting Negro players into the big leagues” - Smith
- In 1946, Smith would meet Jackie Robinson in Pittsburgh. Smith was captivated by the story of Robinson and booked an interview without even seeing Robinson play.
- This would be the start of an ever-lasting friendship that would lead to Smith reporting on Robinson during each of his games.
- Smith's reports on Robinson throughout his career contributed to the public view of Robinson as a regular, hard-working man who was an excellent athlete. This led to a greater public reception towards integrated baseball.
“Robinson was never going to be baseball’s Gandhi, but Smith helped create the illusion of serenity, at least for one season.”
"Wendell Smith." mije.org. Maynard Institute, n.d. Web. 12 June 2014. <http://mije.org/sites/default/files/resize/imagecache/two-thirds_column/u678/W_Smith-330x259.png>.
Hoekstra, Dave. "Jackie Robinson and Sportswriter Wendell Smith: ATeam for the Ages." Chicago Sun-Times [Chicago] 7 Apr. 2013: n. pag. Print. Mayo, Jonathan. "Inktegration: Writers Lacy, Smith Played Big Role in Baseball Integration." MLB.com. MLB, n.d. Web. 5 June 2014.
Hoekstra, Dave. "Jackie Robinson and Sportswriter Wendell Smith: ATeam for the Ages." Chicago Sun-Times [Chicago] 7 Apr. 2013: n. pag. Print. Mayo, Jonathan. "Inktegration: Writers Lacy, Smith Played Big Role in Baseball Integration." MLB.com. MLB, n.d. Web. 5 June 2014.