WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:06.080 It's nice with Dan Ray. I'dell you Mazy Boston's News Radio. 2 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:07.960 Thank you very much, Madison. 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.599 As we begin a Wednesday night edition of night Side, 4 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:17.280 it is Wednesday night, April thirtieth, twenty twenty five. If 5 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.000 you stay with us for the entirety of this program, 6 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.480 I guarantee you we will bring you to within about 7 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.879 two minutes of the merry month of May. My name 8 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:29.679 is Dan Ray. April is fading into our rear view mirror, 9 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.759 and as such, we are really stepping into spring because 10 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.119 May is I think one of the most beautiful months, 11 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:39.840 if not the most beautiful month of the year. So 12 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.159 I'm very happy from that perspective. I hope you are 13 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:45.039 as well. I hope Rob Brooks is back in the 14 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:48.079 control room. He is all set to get us going. 15 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:51.320 Between now and midnight, we'll get you to about eleven 16 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:53.920 fifty eight, and you'll have to carry yourself the rest 17 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:55.880 of the way to get to May, but it'll be 18 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:58.640 well worth it. We are going to talk about the 19 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:05.000 continued delay by the defense lawyers for the Boston Marathon 20 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:07.280 Barmber two. We'll get to all of that a little 21 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.280 bit later on tonight. We'll talk about very interesting move 22 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:13.319 by the Department of Justice, the US Department of Justice 23 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:18.280 to arrest two judges, two state judges, one in New Mexico, 24 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:23.719 the second in Wisconsin for essentially obstruction of justice charges 25 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:28.159 certainly does take the heat up in the controversies that 26 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:32.079 do exist between various judges and the Trump administration. We 27 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:34.439 saved that for later. For this first hour, we have 28 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.920 a four people who we're going to talk to, all 29 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.120 of whom have information that you not only might need. 30 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:41.040 But you can use. 31 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:45.319 We're going to start off with Michelle Steinberg. She is 32 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:49.640 the Wildlife Division director of the National Fire Protection Association. 33 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:52.439 And some of you may realize this, some of you 34 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:57.000 may not, that Wildlife Community Preparedness Day is coming up 35 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.519 this Saturday, May third, and forty eight million homes in 36 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.920 the United States are at a high risk of wildfire. 37 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:10.240 We saw what happened last fall in Los Angeles frightening. 38 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.759 So Michelle, welcome to night's att How are you. 39 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:16.199 I'm great, Dan, It's so nice to be here talking 40 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:16.840 with you today. 41 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:23.719 That's great you represent the National Fire Protection Association. But 42 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:27.680 in addition to that, I believe your program, or the 43 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:30.120 program we're about to talk about, is also sponsored by 44 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:33.840 State Farm Insurance, and I can understand why State Farm 45 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:37.520 Insurance would want people who would ensure their homes with 46 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.199 that insurance company running insurance company do whatever they can 47 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:46.840 to make the zone around their home immune from possible 48 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:51.800 ignition if a wildfire is involved in their areas. So 49 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:54.840 I think some of the things we have to do 50 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:57.879 are pretty obvious, but I'd love to hear you tell 51 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:02.000 us exactly what homeowner should be thinking about. We're now 52 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:04.479 getting out and the boat, and there's some work. 53 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:09.280 To be done, right So, absolutely, and in Massachusetts and 54 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:12.719 certainly within your broad listening range, people can take action 55 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.639 very simply to clear up areas right around their home, 56 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.960 as you mentioned, looking at your gutters, around porches and decks, 57 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.240 to take any dead debris material. So you know, after 58 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:27.400 a long winter you're seeing leaves in the gutters, pine 59 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.960 needles piled up. These are those areas of your home 60 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.800 where the wind would normally blow those materials. That's where 61 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.479 embers will go in a wildfire. So if you picture 62 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:40.719 somebody uh uh, you know, uh, there's there's a wildfire coming, 63 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:45.120 or even an escaped campfire, those little pieces of burning 64 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.439 material can fly with the wind and they can land 65 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.759 in your gutter around your home and start fires there. 66 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.319 So just doing those simple cleanups gives us a lot 67 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:59.400 of a lot of effective ways to combat the wildfire. 68 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.199 And then working with your neighbors is also another really 69 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:03.879 key point that we have emphasized. 70 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:07.919 Sure if your neighborhood, if your neighbor's home catches on fire, 71 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:10.800 yours might not be far behind. You know, It's funny, 72 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.520 there's sort of a balance here when you think about it, Michelle. 73 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:16.800 On the one hand, you want to have you want 74 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.600 to fireproof your property as much as you can. But 75 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.560 here in a place like New England, where we do 76 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:25.720 have a lot of foliage, most of us get our 77 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:30.240 gutters cleaned professionally in the fall, or in some cases 78 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:32.439 if we're young enough and brave enough and have a 79 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:36.040 ladder and someone you can work with, they do it themselves. 80 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:39.279 But we don't think about that in the springtime because 81 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.160 what is coming down, as you know, there's always a 82 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.639 little bit of build up, nothing like what is in 83 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.680 my neighborhood. When the leaves and the trees fall, the 84 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:55.480 gutters are just packed and undone with my climbing up ladder. 85 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:57.639 So we have a company come in and they get 86 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.800 they clean the gutters out and around the Thanksgiving they 87 00:05:00.839 --> 00:05:05.079 are they are, they're they're bereft of anything. 88 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:07.920 But I can look out a window down on you. 89 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.240 Know, a first floor gutter and say to myself, oh, 90 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.199 there's a bunch of stuff that has that has reaccumulated. 91 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:17.319 So that's the fast I mean, obviously, if you can 92 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.000 do it, great, if it's not dangerous. If it is dangerous, well, 93 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:23.680 the same gutter companies that clean gutters in the fall 94 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.079 so that you don't have ice dams in the winter 95 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:31.000 here in New England, are they around also working in 96 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.000 the springtime, and they'll come back and clean your gutters 97 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:34.519 in the springtime and help you. 98 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:36.160 I bet they'd love to clean your get us in 99 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:38.959 the springtime. But you know, we we have this event 100 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:43.040 that Wildfire Community Preparedness Day in the spring because a 101 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:46.040 lot of the we work nationally and so a lot 102 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:49.680 of the Western States use May as a wildfire awareness month. 103 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.360 It is often has been time to get out, but 104 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:55.959 we also preach wildfire safety and preparedness all year long. 105 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.839 So whenever it makes sense for your climate, your conditions, 106 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.480 your air to do these activities, you can do them. 107 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:05.360 Anytime of the year may just happens to be a 108 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.600 pretty good time of year for a lot of different 109 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:11.360 places in the US. To bring people together, get neighbors 110 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:14.240 working together, teach them about their risks, teach them about 111 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:15.600 what they can do to be stafe. 112 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.480 So at a minimum, at a minimum this weekend on Saturday, 113 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:22.480 people don't have to I mean, you can do it 114 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:23.800 in conjunction with the neighbors. 115 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:25.800 But take a walk around your house. 116 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.079 See if there is leaves that have piled up against 117 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:33.319 one side of the house or the other. And you know, 118 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:35.319 even if you get a rake and pull the leaves 119 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:37.480 away a little bit, that will do something. Maybe the 120 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:39.439 wind will blow them back there, but maybe the wind 121 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:41.240 will blow them down the street. 122 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:43.079 Right, it's sure. 123 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:46.680 And you know, for those of us who love gardening projects, 124 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:48.879 sometimes we get a little over zealous and you might 125 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.240 have a strub or something that didn't really make it 126 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:53.600 that's close to the house. You want to get any 127 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:57.120 dead or dying a healthy material away from right around 128 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:01.240 the house. And we always recommend five feet is actually 129 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:04.040 where the research is showing us that that's the critical 130 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.360 area from out from your foundation where you can make 131 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:10.079 a big difference. So thinking about maybe breaking out that 132 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:12.240 maultus right there. You can have multi in the yard, 133 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:14.199 but you don't want it right up against the house. 134 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:16.839 That's also in some climates like ours, it can be 135 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:21.360 a you know, attractive for insects and things like that. 136 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:23.800 So you want to take these steps. And we give 137 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:26.839 a lot of free information on our website at n 138 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:30.000 f PA, So you can go to Wildfireprep Day dot 139 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:33.079 org to get all of those checklists and information about 140 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:35.360 like where to start and what to do around your home. 141 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:39.879 So wildfireprep Day dot org. Okay, that makes a lot 142 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:43.839 of sense. So we spend money on uh, you know, 143 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.040 shrubbery and bushes and things like that in your yard, 144 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.120 and you realize that they may look beautiful, but they 145 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:56.279 also could be that that elements that plant that that 146 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.319 would ignite when there's a fire. We had a lot 147 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:01.839 of fires here in New England last fall, you know, 148 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:06.079 mostly wooded areas, but there was a lot of acreage 149 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:08.319 that in different spots were burned because it was a 150 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:11.639 pretty dry, dry summer. I hope we get more rain 151 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.240 this summer and we keep that down. Of course, none 152 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:17.879 of us could even imagine what went on in Los 153 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:21.680 Angeles do you know if that community is at least 154 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:25.240 beginning to rebuild itself. I mean, it was devastating the 155 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:27.759 video that all of us looked at last fall. 156 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:31.839 Sure I had the privilege to be able to go 157 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:34.080 out and visit about three weeks after the fire start 158 00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:39.399 in January and toward the both communities Altadena and Specific 159 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.840 Palisades that were severely impacted, they are starting to rebuild. 160 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.600 It is a very long flow, difficult process, and it's 161 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:51.279 very hard when you're you know, really it's affecting most communities, 162 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:55.759 most homes in the neighborhood. But we did see firefighters 163 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.159 took us to sites where they knew that the homeworkers 164 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:00.679 had done the work ahead of time, and we saw 165 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:04.840 homes that survived with little or no intervention, meaning they 166 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.039 did they did enough work to where the embers came 167 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:11.399 in and didn't find anything to catch, and so those 168 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:13.600 homes survived. So we would love to have that be 169 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:18.200 the normal, rather than the normal being so many homes 170 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:21.200 destroyed and only a few surviving. So that's what we're 171 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.399 really trying to push for, is that people can prepare 172 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:27.879 enough have to go through these tragedies to be able 173 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.279 to thrive in their community. 174 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:30.159 Thanks. 175 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.240 I was recollecting that the fires were in the fall, 176 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:37.720 when normally the Santana wims come up. But those fires, 177 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:42.519 I guess occurred what in November and December, which was. 178 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:46.559 The time actually the fires, the Eton fire and the Palisades, 179 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:49.799 the Pacific Palisades were January seventh on the start. That 180 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:51.279 was when the fires started. 181 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:52.480 So it was very. 182 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:54.919 Strange text, strange time of the year to have it. 183 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:58.120 Definitely, Yeah, much later than you would normally think. You 184 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:00.720 would have thought that they might have thought they'd done that. Well, look, 185 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.600 thank you very much again. That website, Michelle, one more 186 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:04.120 time is. 187 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.240 It's Wildfireprep Day DOTRG. 188 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:11.519 Sounds great. Appreciate you taking the time tonight. Thank you 189 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:12.000 so much. 190 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:13.559 It was my pleasure. Thank you. 191 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.960 Okay, good night. All right. So that's one down, three 192 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:17.200 to go. 193 00:10:17.639 --> 00:10:20.399 We're going to talk a little sports, a little baseball 194 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:23.000 when we get back on a talk with an author, 195 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:28.960 Gerald Early. He is also a college professor at Washington 196 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.320 University in Saint Louis, and he's written a book to 197 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:34.080 Triumph of Black Baseball in America. How Black Americans have 198 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:38.200 shaped baseball and they certainly have. There's no doubt about that. 199 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:41.080 Thank God for Jackie Robinson and his progeny. We'll be 200 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:45.360 back talking with Professor Gerald Early on Night Side right 201 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:45.759 after this. 202 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.320 If you're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, 203 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:51.919 Boston's news radio. 204 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:56.919 All right, Red Sox are up for nothing. So it's 205 00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:58.960 a good night for the Red Sox up in Toronto, 206 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:00.600 and it's going to be a good night for all 207 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:02.879 of us to learn a little bit more about how 208 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:07.159 Black Americans have shaped baseball. Professor Gerald Early. He's an 209 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:09.759 author and the world cling Professor of Modern Letters in 210 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:13.879 the African and African American Studies Department at Washington University, 211 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:16.559 which of course is in Saint Louis. Professor Early, welcome 212 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:17.080 to NIGHTSID. 213 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:17.519 How are you. 214 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:19.519 I'm very good, Thank you. 215 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:25.000 So I must tell you I've had the opportunity. I 216 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:28.320 never met Jackie Robinson, but when I was a little boy, 217 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:31.840 I met Larry Dobie, who, of course was the first 218 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:35.759 black player in the American League with the Indians. So 219 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:38.879 although I missed out on Jackie Robinson because he was 220 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:41.879 a little ahead of my time, I've got to meet 221 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:45.720 a lot of black professional baseball players. And when you 222 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:48.440 look at you know whether It's the Roberto Clemente's of 223 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.080 the world, the Hank Aarons, the Willie Mays, the mccovey's, 224 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.399 the Cepadas, the Elu Brothers. You know, just on on 225 00:11:55.720 --> 00:12:01.120 and on and on. What a pipeline of great baseball players. 226 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.039 Jackie Robinson opened up and thank God for jack Jackie 227 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:05.240 Robinson and Branch Ricky. 228 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:13.320 Yes, that's very true that Jackie Robinson did open it up. 229 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:19.399 But many of the players, such as Larry Dobe and 230 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:25.440 Jackie Robinson, the early player Satchel Page went into the 231 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:29.720 major leagues had been trained and played in the negro leagues. 232 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.000 The negro leagues are very important and helping develop players. 233 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:37.600 Oh absolutely, Hank Aaron played in the negro Leagues before he, 234 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.000 you know, came to the came to the Red Sox. 235 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:44.360 Uh No, no question about that. The Red Sox were 236 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:47.879 the last team to have a black player. Pumpsey Green 237 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:52.440 broke the so called color barrier here in Boston, and 238 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:57.759 it was I think the Yankees. I think Elson Howard. 239 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.720 I think the Yankees and Red Sox were the last 240 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:05.159 two teams that had a black player. And of course 241 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.639 the American League was kind of behind the National League 242 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.080 from the get go. I mean, you think of any team, 243 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:13.080 whether it's the Cubs, you think of Ernie Banks and 244 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.679 Billy Williams. When it's the Red Legs, you think about 245 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:23.440 Frank Robinson. You know, Clemente obviously on the Pirates, the Dodgers, 246 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.639 don nukeomb Joe Black, Jackie Robinson, Roy campanell At, Jim Gilliam, 247 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.000 Charlie Neal. I mean, they could almost have fielded an 248 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:37.840 entire black lineup as early as the nineteen fifties, just 249 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:41.559 the National League. Why was it that the National League 250 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:45.600 was so far ahead of the American League in the 251 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:48.080 infusion of black talent in the nineteen. 252 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:53.480 Fifties, That's hard to say. I think part of it 253 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.960 has to do with the fact that Brooklyn was in 254 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:00.320 the National League and Brooklyn broke the color line, and 255 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:07.919 I think that that propelled other teams to one to internationally, 256 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:13.399 to want to think about that and want to uh 257 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:15.080 some of the other teams that want to break the 258 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:19.559 color line as well because of Brooklyn doing that. I 259 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:25.799 think that if I also think that the American League 260 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:31.320 was just generally a little bit more conservative league and 261 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.159 how how it went about his business, That is to say, 262 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:36.960 how the style of baseball that the American League played 263 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:40.879 and so forth. And I think that it because they didn't. 264 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:44.320 They were slow at integrating and everything. I think that's 265 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:47.240 why I kind of imbalance happened between the two leagues, 266 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:52.279 which was demonstrated with the All Star Games, which for 267 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:55.960 many years the National League dominated, uh the All Star 268 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:00.200 Games with the American League because the black players that 269 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:04.679 came into the league were achieved at a very very 270 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:09.440 high level. It was the percentage of black who who 271 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.840 wound up being extraordinary players when they came into Major 272 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:19.840 League baseball was very high, and and so that caused 273 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:22.360 a kind of an imbalance between the two leagues because 274 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:27.360 more of those players were in the in the National 275 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:29.960 in the National League. But I do think it was 276 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.279 the influence of Brooklyn being in the National League and 277 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:35.879 breaking the color line. And as you say, they broke 278 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.440 the color line in a way that was quite dramatic 279 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.399 because it went beyond just Jackie Robinson and you know 280 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:46.960 with Don Newcombe, Roy Campanello and the others that the 281 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:50.600 Dodgers were really very serious about that, and also the 282 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:53.000 other teams conceded. It gave the Dodgers a kind of 283 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:53.960 competitive edge. 284 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:56.879 Now, the Dodgers had some, you know, great, great years 285 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.600 in the nineteen fifties because one story that I happened 286 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:02.320 to know about Jackie Robinson, which I think i've told 287 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:04.799 on this program before, but I want to know if 288 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:08.440 you've ever heard this story. It came to me from 289 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.960 a buddy of mine who pitched for the Yankees in 290 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:15.360 the nineteen sixties. There was a pitcher on the Phillies 291 00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:20.360 when Robinson came up who was particularly brutal in the 292 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:23.240 things that were said to Jackie Robinson from the Phillies dogout. 293 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:25.759 I'm sure you know that the Phillies had a kind 294 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:28.519 of a nasty manager and he did not discourage some 295 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.679 nasty comments from his players. And this player eventually, in 296 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.080 the twilight of his career, became a teammate with a 297 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:37.759 friend of mine who played for the Yankees, and he 298 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.200 told me the story many years later that when he 299 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:46.960 was a teammate of this player, the player confided in 300 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:52.480 him that after having taunted Robinson from the Phillies bench, 301 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.759 he found himself traded to the Dodgers in the early 302 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:00.279 nineteen fifties, and when he walked into the Dodgers' line locker, 303 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:04.400 room with Nukom and you know, obviously Jackie Robinson and 304 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.839 all the other players Campanella and Charlie Neil and others. 305 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.559 No one looked at him, no one said a word, 306 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:16.319 and the locker room was completely silent. And he walked 307 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.319 to the far end of the locker room and sat 308 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:21.000 in front of you know, his stall or whatever you 309 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:24.079 want to call it, his locker, and he said, after 310 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:28.000 a couple of minutes, Jackie Robinson got up, walked across 311 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:31.759 the length of the locker room and simply stuck out 312 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:39.160 his hand and said, we're teammates now. And I think 313 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:43.599 that story, which I know to be true, is a 314 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:47.160 story that I've not heard others talk about. But it 315 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:50.039 showed the strength of character that Jackie Robinson had, that 316 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:53.400 he had an ability to forgive this guy for all 317 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:56.839 that the abuse that this guy had keeped upon him 318 00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:00.759 from the safety of the dugout across the field, and 319 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:05.119 yet Robinson was man enough to go down and sort 320 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.559 of break the ice. Had you ever heard that story before? 321 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:09.079 No, I haven't. 322 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:10.480 This is the first time I've heard it. 323 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:12.359 I'll tell you the pitcher's name was a guy named 324 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:15.160 rus Meyer. You can look it up you can look 325 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:20.799 it up and just you know, an incredible leader both 326 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:23.279 on and off the field. Jackie Robinson. When is when 327 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:25.160 is the book out? I hope it's already out so 328 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:26.519 people can get a copy of it. 329 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:30.680 Well, I it was officially published yesterday. 330 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:35.640 So timing, timing and baseball very important. Timing and authorship 331 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:41.039 is very important. Professor Gerald Early, play harder the Triumph 332 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:45.000 of Black Baseball in America, How Black Americans have shaped baseball. 333 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.160 Major League Baseball now has to kind of reach back 334 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.119 to the black community and get a lot of black 335 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:53.400 kids back involved in the game. There's a lot of 336 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.119 Dominican players coming in and guys from from you know, 337 00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.799 central even Central America, and you know, yeah, we we 338 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.079 had Mookie Bets here and we were so brilliant. We 339 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:07.920 traded Mookie Bets to the Dodgers, and it's been a 340 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:11.079 tough few years here in Boston without the great Mookie Bets. 341 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:14.519 Professor Early, I appreciate your time tonight, the book play 342 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.119 hard of the triumph Black Baseball in America, How Black 343 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:18.559 Americans have shaped baseball. 344 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:19.440 Thank you so much. 345 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:21.759 Thank you, You're welcome. 346 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:24.039 Will we get back right after the news going to 347 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:27.559 talk to you about the MBTA is now using cameras 348 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:31.839 to crack down on parking in bus stops and I 349 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:35.240 guess in bike lanes or bus lanes as well. Mike 350 00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:39.079 Dian and Axio's Boston reporter, will join us with all 351 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.799 of the advice that I think all of us would 352 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:44.920 be well to take into consideration so we don't end 353 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.279 up with unnecessary tickets for doing something that we shouldn't 354 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:50.640 have been done doing in the first place. 355 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:52.759 We'll talk about that on the other side. 356 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.000 If you're on night side with Dan Ray on w 357 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.440 Boston's news radio. 358 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.319 All right, back we go the MBTA. We all know 359 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:02.960 that there's. 360 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:07.680 A lot of MBTA bus lanes that are now crisscrossing 361 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:11.839 our streets, not only in Boston in surrounding communities, and 362 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:16.680 the MBTA has decided to, I guess, equip the buses 363 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:20.200 with cameras so they can crack down on people who 364 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:23.519 park or stop in those bus lanes. With us is 365 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:28.079 Mike Dian. He's a reporter for Axios here in Boston. Mike, 366 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:29.279 welcome back, How. 367 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:29.640 Are you sir? 368 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:30.640 Good? 369 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.079 Were you Dan here? 370 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:32.720 Just great? 371 00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:36.920 So the MBTA plans to ticket people for parking in 372 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:41.680 bus stops and bus lanes. Uh, I can understand that. 373 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:46.839 But boy, when they're starting to go to cameras, they're 374 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.519 they're stepping up their game. 375 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.160 Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely something that new technology is enabling 376 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.519 them to do. Not only is there some kind of 377 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:00.759 you know, machine element to identifying the license plates. Think 378 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:03.799 of it as like you know, the the pike and 379 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:06.559 you know different places where those stanchions take pictures of 380 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.200 the license plate and toll you based on that. It's 381 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:13.319 similar technology. The camera identifies the number on the plate. 382 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:16.559 You get mailed a ticket, you know, in the regular 383 00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:18.839 postal mail. But this is the kind of thing that 384 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:22.480 couldn't really exist without newer technology and just the technology 385 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:25.400 to mount this kind of camera system to the bus itself. 386 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:27.319 You know, this isn't going to be a camera at 387 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:29.359 the bus stop or at the lane. It's going to 388 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.519 be on the bus. So you know, a bus approaches, 389 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.720 somebody's idling, you know, maybe with their blinkers on or 390 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:39.640 something in the lane, that's going to trigger the system 391 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:40.839 to go into effect. 392 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:41.839 So those of us. 393 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:46.519 Who are Boston drivers have always functioned under the belief 394 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:50.759 that let's say you can't find a parking space and 395 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.799 you pull into where a hydrant is and you stay 396 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:55.759 in the car because you've got to pick someone up, 397 00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:58.720 and you put your blinkers on or whatever the motor 398 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:01.519 is running or whatever. You can get out of that 399 00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:06.200 hydrant parking space in two seconds if a fire truck 400 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:10.279 needed to come by. So that's something that all of us, 401 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:13.839