‘Brooklyn Bat Boy’ author comes to Long Beach to sign book about Jackie Robinson’s legacy

There's no question Jackie Robinson had an immense influence on American culture. The baseball legend became the first African-American athlete to play Major League baseball when he took the field for the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers. He not only broke the color barrier and became Rookie of the Year, National League MVP and eventually a World Series champ, he paved the way for other minority athletes and changed American history.