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Today, April 15, is Jackie Robinson Day. It is celebrated each year on April 15 in remembrance of the first black player to play for a major league baseball team. Jackie Robinson broke Baseball's color barrier when he made his historic MLB debut o April 15, 1947.
Every year on April 15,
On April 15 each season, all players on every MLB team wear Robinson's number 42, which is otherwise an officially retired number by all 30 teams. Unfortunately, because MLB is on hold this season, there will be no games today. But, Major League Baseball still honors Jackie Robinson's legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments.
But there is also a Bradley connection with Jackie Robinson. Robinson went to high school in Pasadena, California, and then to Pasadena Junior College, before enrolling at UCLA for his junior and senior years. As everyone knows, he was an extraordinary athlete who excelled at 4 sports during his PJC and UCLA career- football, basketball, baseball, and track. But it was when he was a member of the UCLA basketball team that he and Bradley crossed paths.
In Robinson's senior season at UCLA (1940-41), UCLA played Bradley twice. They played December 19, 1940 at the Peoria Armory, and Bradley won- 52-49. Then, 12 days later, on Dec. 31, 1940, they played again at the Men's Gym at UCLA. Bradley won that game, too- 36-27.
1940-41 Bradley schedule- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/men.../schedule/1940
I've never seen any details about those games, and I cannot find any published statistics, other than the final score.
But one interesting fact I came across was that the game in Peoria was part of a UCLA "midwestern barnstorming tour", the first time UCLA did anything like that. It included 4 games against Midwestern teams- DePaul, Bradley Tech (now BU), Western State (now Western Colorado University), and Illinois Normal (now ISU). UCLA was expected to have one of the better teams in the country, but they lost all 4 games, and went on to a disappointing 6-20 season. This link is to a book detailing that part of UCLA's basketball history-
https://books.google.com/books?id=3x...binson&f=false
Meanwhile, Bradley finished that 1940-41 season 16-4, and an undefeated 3-0 in the old IIAC (Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). After that 1940-41 season, Bradley was forced out of the Peoria Armory, as World War II necessitated the US Army taking over the Armory until the war ended. Bradley played the 1941-42 and 1942-43 seasons at Woodruff High School, then suspended their athletics program for 2 years before returning to the Armory for the 1945-46 season. They continued playing at the Armory through the 1948-49 season, then moved into new Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse for the 1949-50 season.
Here is an excerpt I found from the Bradley Polytechnic Institute student newspaper named "The Bradley Tech" for that week of December 19, 1940 with a brief mention of the Dec. 19, 1940 game against UCLA and their "star" Jackie Robinson. Note that they use an unofficial nickname for the Bradley athletic team - the "Techmen"-
THE BRADLEY TECH
VOLUME XLIV
PEORIA, ILLINOIS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1940
Thursday, December 19, 1940
TECH SPORTS
Strenuous Week Ahead For Cagers
Tonight the Braves start one of the toughest weeks of basketball any team in the nation will play as they face the very powerful U. of California of Los Angeles on the Armory hardwood at 8:15. This game starts the week in which the Techmen will face five teams, all of them strong squads.
The Braves will try to bounce back tonight from their 31 to 28 defeat last Saturday at the hands of Iowa State and although they will be minus the services of Lloyd “Bootchie” Bortel and perhaps those of Paul McCall, they are set for the boys of UCLA. Bortel will be out of at least the next two games because of scholastic deficiencies. McCall is still suffering from an injury to his back which he received in the football season.
Chinuge To Start
Bill Chinuge, a junior, will probably be in the starting line¬ up. All the rest of the regulars are ready to go. Bill is very fast and had some experience last year. He will be able to fill the vacancy very well. The Bruins boast one of the strongest teams on the Pacific coast and in the mind of many basketball authorities UCLA is the top team on the coast. They have six lettermen back from last year’s team which defeated the University of California twice, while the Braves barely nosed out the U. of C. by the score of 40 to 39 last year.
Robinson Is Star
The star of the Bruin quintet is Jackie Robinson who is considered by many as the greatest athlete ever produced in the United States. Robinson was the leader of the Bruins last year also and broke the scoring record on the Pacific coast. When the Bradley quintet finish the tough assignment of UCLA, they meet an equally strong team in Oregon on Saturday night. Oregon is the team of the coast that has any chance of taking the Pacific coast championship from the Bruins. The Webfoots are one of the tallest teams in the country, being able to put a team on the floor which averages 6 ’ 6 ”.
Face William And Mary-
On Monday, the 23, the scene of the battle will still be the Armory but the foe will be from the opposite side of the country. On that night the Braves match their skill with that of the quintet of William and Mary. The William and Mary aggregation are also a tough foe, for all of their starters were regulars last year and have played on the varsity for the last two years. On Christmas night Bradley plays host to the men from Yale. Yale comes to Peoria for the second time, playing here two years ago. They will be seeking revenge for the defeat handed them at that time by the “Famous Five” and the nine lettermen returning from last year will be keyed for the game.
Cornell Ready This Year
Two nights later another team from the east will appear in the armory in an effort to gain revenge for a past defeat. This time it will be the Big Red of Cornell whom the Braves defeated by the score of 35 to 31 last year. The Big Red, which will be stronger than last year, is one of the finest defensive teams the Techmen will have to face.
On December 28 the Bradley team leaves for the Pacific coast where they will play the UCLA team a return battle and face the University of California in an effort to repeat the victory of last year.
Holiday Schedule
Dec. 21—University of Oregon
Dec. 23 — William and Mary
Dec. 25—Yale University
Dec. 27—Cornell University
Dec. 31 — University of California at Los Angeles
Jan. 3—University of California at Berkeley
Every year on April 15,
On April 15 each season, all players on every MLB team wear Robinson's number 42, which is otherwise an officially retired number by all 30 teams. Unfortunately, because MLB is on hold this season, there will be no games today. But, Major League Baseball still honors Jackie Robinson's legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments.
But there is also a Bradley connection with Jackie Robinson. Robinson went to high school in Pasadena, California, and then to Pasadena Junior College, before enrolling at UCLA for his junior and senior years. As everyone knows, he was an extraordinary athlete who excelled at 4 sports during his PJC and UCLA career- football, basketball, baseball, and track. But it was when he was a member of the UCLA basketball team that he and Bradley crossed paths.
In Robinson's senior season at UCLA (1940-41), UCLA played Bradley twice. They played December 19, 1940 at the Peoria Armory, and Bradley won- 52-49. Then, 12 days later, on Dec. 31, 1940, they played again at the Men's Gym at UCLA. Bradley won that game, too- 36-27.
1940-41 Bradley schedule- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/men.../schedule/1940
I've never seen any details about those games, and I cannot find any published statistics, other than the final score.
But one interesting fact I came across was that the game in Peoria was part of a UCLA "midwestern barnstorming tour", the first time UCLA did anything like that. It included 4 games against Midwestern teams- DePaul, Bradley Tech (now BU), Western State (now Western Colorado University), and Illinois Normal (now ISU). UCLA was expected to have one of the better teams in the country, but they lost all 4 games, and went on to a disappointing 6-20 season. This link is to a book detailing that part of UCLA's basketball history-
https://books.google.com/books?id=3x...binson&f=false
Meanwhile, Bradley finished that 1940-41 season 16-4, and an undefeated 3-0 in the old IIAC (Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). After that 1940-41 season, Bradley was forced out of the Peoria Armory, as World War II necessitated the US Army taking over the Armory until the war ended. Bradley played the 1941-42 and 1942-43 seasons at Woodruff High School, then suspended their athletics program for 2 years before returning to the Armory for the 1945-46 season. They continued playing at the Armory through the 1948-49 season, then moved into new Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse for the 1949-50 season.
Here is an excerpt I found from the Bradley Polytechnic Institute student newspaper named "The Bradley Tech" for that week of December 19, 1940 with a brief mention of the Dec. 19, 1940 game against UCLA and their "star" Jackie Robinson. Note that they use an unofficial nickname for the Bradley athletic team - the "Techmen"-
THE BRADLEY TECH
VOLUME XLIV
PEORIA, ILLINOIS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1940
Thursday, December 19, 1940
TECH SPORTS
Strenuous Week Ahead For Cagers
Tonight the Braves start one of the toughest weeks of basketball any team in the nation will play as they face the very powerful U. of California of Los Angeles on the Armory hardwood at 8:15. This game starts the week in which the Techmen will face five teams, all of them strong squads.
The Braves will try to bounce back tonight from their 31 to 28 defeat last Saturday at the hands of Iowa State and although they will be minus the services of Lloyd “Bootchie” Bortel and perhaps those of Paul McCall, they are set for the boys of UCLA. Bortel will be out of at least the next two games because of scholastic deficiencies. McCall is still suffering from an injury to his back which he received in the football season.
Chinuge To Start
Bill Chinuge, a junior, will probably be in the starting line¬ up. All the rest of the regulars are ready to go. Bill is very fast and had some experience last year. He will be able to fill the vacancy very well. The Bruins boast one of the strongest teams on the Pacific coast and in the mind of many basketball authorities UCLA is the top team on the coast. They have six lettermen back from last year’s team which defeated the University of California twice, while the Braves barely nosed out the U. of C. by the score of 40 to 39 last year.
Robinson Is Star
The star of the Bruin quintet is Jackie Robinson who is considered by many as the greatest athlete ever produced in the United States. Robinson was the leader of the Bruins last year also and broke the scoring record on the Pacific coast. When the Bradley quintet finish the tough assignment of UCLA, they meet an equally strong team in Oregon on Saturday night. Oregon is the team of the coast that has any chance of taking the Pacific coast championship from the Bruins. The Webfoots are one of the tallest teams in the country, being able to put a team on the floor which averages 6 ’ 6 ”.
Face William And Mary-
On Monday, the 23, the scene of the battle will still be the Armory but the foe will be from the opposite side of the country. On that night the Braves match their skill with that of the quintet of William and Mary. The William and Mary aggregation are also a tough foe, for all of their starters were regulars last year and have played on the varsity for the last two years. On Christmas night Bradley plays host to the men from Yale. Yale comes to Peoria for the second time, playing here two years ago. They will be seeking revenge for the defeat handed them at that time by the “Famous Five” and the nine lettermen returning from last year will be keyed for the game.
Cornell Ready This Year
Two nights later another team from the east will appear in the armory in an effort to gain revenge for a past defeat. This time it will be the Big Red of Cornell whom the Braves defeated by the score of 35 to 31 last year. The Big Red, which will be stronger than last year, is one of the finest defensive teams the Techmen will have to face.
On December 28 the Bradley team leaves for the Pacific coast where they will play the UCLA team a return battle and face the University of California in an effort to repeat the victory of last year.
Holiday Schedule
Dec. 21—University of Oregon
Dec. 23 — William and Mary
Dec. 25—Yale University
Dec. 27—Cornell University
Dec. 31 — University of California at Los Angeles
Jan. 3—University of California at Berkeley
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