December 13, 1956 - The Brooklyn Dodgers do the unthinkable and trade Jackie Robinson to their crosstown rivals, the New York Giants, for Dick Littlefield and $30,000. Robinson had broken the baseball color barrier in 1947 and helped the Dodgers go from the bums of baseball to a consistent contender in the National League. But he was 37 years old and was in the twilight of his career.
Robinson was leaning towards retirement when he heard the news. He did not want to start anew with a different team, but he didn’t want to disappoint his die-hard fans, who cried for him to remain in the game. The Giants offered him $60,000 to stay active and play first base for them.
Jackie announced his exit that January, rescinding the trade and sending Littlefield back to the Giants. He then signed a deal to become the vice president of Chock Full o’Nuts, a localNew Yorklunch counter.
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