Jackie Robinson, Jews, and My Birthday -- To Quote Rick James, It's A Celebration Bitches!

July 17th of 1947 was one of the key reasons that today's featured ticket stub was a must-have for my ticket collection. July 17th is my birthday, first and foremost, and owning a stub from a vintage Dodgers game on that date is just cool. When the legendary Jackie Robinson has career hit number 101 in that game and is a rookie, well, a trifecta of awesomeness has occurred!

The Pirates clobbered the Blue Crew on that day, but a certain Pirate made a contribution I had to have noted on the flip. Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg launched career homer number 321 while driving in two and walking twice. I only think of him as a Tiger but as one of the game's preeminent Jewish players I was thrilled he was a big part of this game along with Jackie.

Any item added to my modest but growing Jackie Collection is a welcome and cherished piece of history in my eyes. Rookie year pieces are harder and harder to come by without breaking the bank. When I bought this, I believe I paid $20 for this and $20 for another rookie year offering from the same seller. You can't touch '47 Dodger stubs at that price anymore so I am very pleased to have stumbled upon them when I did and had the foresight to buy them.

A Jackie Robinson Rookie Ticket!!!

Jackie Robinson items from 1947 are not always easy to come by and when they do appear they are more often than not too expensive for my taste. I have a range, but Jackie rookie stuff and that range don't always see eye to eye. That makes it all the more imperative that when something does pop up -- and it is not insanely priced -- I jump on it and don't miss my chance.

Somewhere in 2020 I stumbled upon a pair of amazing and well-loved ticket stubs from the year of our Blue Crew Lord Jackie Robinson, 1947. I had recently developed a liking for tickets and the history behind them and was also putting effort into building a modest Jackie PC at the same time. These stubs were a perfect target if the price remained reasonable. Much to my surprise, they were far more than that....they were cheap!

I paid roughly $20 per stub and knew once in-hand the next stop would be the PSA grading room for protective slabbing and long-term value. Not that I will part with them, but the value added is undeniable.

June 3rd of 1947 saw the Dodgers play Pittsburgh in a double-header and sweep both games. A lot happened within those two contests....

• Hank Greenberg: 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, one RBI
• Ralph Kiner: Career HR # 29, 4 RBI, 2 runs, 2 hits
• Pee Wee Reese: 4 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs
• JACKIE ROBINSON: Single, Double, 1 Walk, 3 Runs, Career Stolen Base # 7

I wish I had remembered to ask for the SB to be on the flip and perhaps one day I will send it in to be re-holdered and the label amended. I would have surmised this would end up as Authentic due to the paper loss on the front, but I will gladly take a straight grade of 1.