Photo of Jackie Robinson, Sotaro Suzuki, Rachel Robinson and Walter O’Malley

(L-R) Jackie Robinson; Sotaro Suzuki; Mrs. Jackie (Rachel) Robinson; Walter O’Malley. After retiring from Major League Baseball in January, 1957, Jackie Robinson worked in business and was active in advancing civil rights and social causes. In 1965, he was invited to work during the season as a baseball commentator for ABC-TV Saturday Game of the Week. Robinson made his return to Dodgertown – Vero Beach, Florida on March 31, 1965 to work with play-by-play announcer Chris Schenkel as a test for the upcoming season enabling ABC to experiment with new technology, including “isolated cameras” and “stop-action” shots during a spring game between the Dodgers and St. Louis. Highly-respected columnist Suzuki, who knew Robinson from the 1956 Dodgers Goodwill Tour to Japan, was also visiting Dodgertown.