Jackie Robinson on racial taunts during his rookie year
1947

Pee Wee [Reece] left his postion and walked over to mine while they were doing the riding, and he put his hand on my shoulder, as if to say to them, "go ahead and yell and so what you please, the only thing that matters as far as Pee Wee Reece is concerned is that Jackie Robinson plays as well as he possibly can for the Brooklyn baseball club, and that he conducts himself in a manner that makes him worthy of being a member of the team."

Another instance was the time that the Philadelphia Phillies came in to Brooklyn, and they were quite viscious with their remarks, and they were all directed at me, but the fellows on the ball club resented this more than I think people realized, and the fact that the Phillies continued to ride me, I think brought our ball club much closer together.