I came across a great story earlier at the Chattanoogan.com website — “Chattanooga’s source for breaking local news” — about Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers playing an exhibition game there in 1952.
“Jackie Robinson Starred At Chattanooga’s Engel Stadium”
Jackie Robinson, who 60 years ago last Sunday became the first African-American to play major league baseball, was also involved in the first baseball game in Chattanooga in which blacks and whites competed against each other.
On Sunday, April 6, 1952, his Brooklyn Dodgers played an exhibition at Engel Stadium against the Boston Braves while both teams were heading back home following spring training in Florida.
What a difference 55 years — and people like Jackie — make, as evidenced by the seating arrangements.
For whites, the tickets were $2 for a box seat and $1.50 for general admission in the grandstand. For the African-American fans, the cost was $1.75 for reserved seats in the black section of the grandstand and $1.50 for the bleachers and overflow.
Robinson was actually one of several Africian-Americans playing in the game. Dodger catcher Roy Campanella – who would tragically be paralyzed in an automobile accident after the 1957 season – was playing, as were Sam Jethroe, George Crow and Bill Bruton for the Braves.
There’s much more to the article by John Shearer, including appearances from the same period by Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and lots of other Dodgers.