Jackie Robinson Ballpark now a commemorative site

The big picture: Robinson first suited up for the Triple-A Montreal Royals at the ballpark on March 17, 1946, making him the first Black American to play in modern white organized baseball.

• After a season with the Royals, Robinson was called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking the modern-day color line in Major League Baseball.
• The ballpark opened in 1914 and is already on the list of the National Registry of Historic Places.

Zoom in: Under the bill signed Saturday, the incoming Secretary of the Interior will conduct a study to evaluate its significance and the feasibility of designating it as a National Historic Landmark.

• The designation will give it access to more federal funds for preservation and restoration.
• Jackie Robinson Ballpark is currently home to the Single-A Daytona Tortugas and Bethune-Cookman University baseball.

Flashback: Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey chose Daytona Beach as the Dodgers' spring training site because it had fewer discrimination problems than other Florida cities.

• The city had Black bus drivers and a sizable Black middle class — something Rickey felt Robinson needed to feel comfortable in the early days ahead of the discrimination he would later face.

Yes, but: Newlyweds Jackie and Rachel Robinson were bumped off two flights from Los Angeles to Florida to allow white passengers to have their seats, Rachel Robinson told NPR in 2010.

• Before arriving at the spring training site, the couple had to sit on the back of the bus on their trip from Pensacola to Jacksonville, Florida, because of segregation.

Zoom out: Robinson was the 1947 Rookie of the Year and 1949 MVP. His MLB ranks across his first seven seasons: stolen bases (1st), runs (2nd), hits (2nd), WAR (2nd), batting average (4th).

• His courage paved the way for Black athletes across all sports.
• Robinson was friends with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and spent his post-playing career as a civil rights activist.