I recently caught up with a pal of mine, Jay Goldberg, at his Bergino Baseball Clubhouse. The locker room décor, hand-made custom baseballs, turf base coasters, and vintage art work of various famed home run hitters, is everything a baseball enthusiast could ask for. We spoke briefly about Jackie Robinson’s upcoming biopic, 42: The True Story of An American Legend (in theaters April 12, 2013) and his legacy: as a baseball player, a man, and fighter of adversity. Jay was more than happy to share some of his thoughts with me on the iconic figure in sports history:
“In a world where the word “hero” is seldom used, it is one of the many words that fits the icon, Jackie Robinson. Everyone — even people who have never held a baseball – understand that Jackie was ‘The First.’ What makes Jackie a hero is what he did with his life, not just, what happened during those 1,382 ballgames he played. Jackie never stopped fighting for civil rights and humanity. He passed away at the age of 53, looking like an 83-year-old man. Life beat him down, but his passion and fight lifted us all — even those who’ve never seen him play the game. Jackie is and always will be, considered one of the most important American’s of the 20th Century.
Since we opened the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse in 2010, we have had more unique Jackie Robinson items than those of any other ballplayer. It was true when we first opened, it is true today, and it will be true when our Clubhouse door closes for the final time.” – Jay Glodberg
Photos shot on location: Bergino Baseball Clubhouse (67 East 11 Street, New York, NY 10003)
Photography by Cochrane Williams