When Ty Cobb hailed Jackie Robinson's pioneering breakthrough in baseball: "Has the right to compete"

Former MLB star Jackie Robinson battled for equality on and off the baseball field. Robinson was backed by Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, who hailed his pioneering breakthrough in MLB.

In 1952, he told the Sporting News:

“The n**** has the right to compete in sports and who’s to say they have not?”

In 1947, Jackie Robinson entered the field in the top of the first inning against the Boston Braves and became the first African American to play in the Major Leagues.

Robinson shattered baseball's six-decade-old colour barrier when he took his position at first base, which not only made him an inspiration to those battling for racial equality, but also a target for those attempting to fight against it.

Ty Cobb once beat up a crippled heckler for allegedly making a racist remark

Ty Cobb was well known for having a temper. This was notably made public when Cobb struck a crippled spectator on May 15, 1915, during a game at the Yankees' Hilltop Park.

Claude Lucker, the fan, stated:

"He struck me with his fists on the forehead and over the left eye and knocked me down. Then he jumped on me and spiked me in the left leg, and kicked me in the side, after which he booted me behind the left ear. I was down and Cobb was kicking me when someone in the crowd shouted, 'Don't kick him. He has no hands.'

Cobb answered, 'I don't care if he has no feet!'"

Lucker was alleged to have made racist remarks at Ty Cobb and suggested he was of African descent.