Jackie Robinson: The Connecticut Connection will be the topic of a special presentation of the Essex Historical Society on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall. First Selectman Philip Miller, a lifelong fan of the baseball legend and Civil Rights hero, will be the speaker. This special program is open to the public and admission is free.

"Baseball has deep roots in Connecticut," said Mary Ann Pleva, president of the historical society. "Many of our 19th-century factories fielded teams. Jackie Robinson's Connecticut connection is another important chapter in the state's baseball lore. For instance, the Wiffle ball-and bat-were born in Connecticut and are still manufactured by the Mullany family in Shelton."

Pleva added that Connecticut natives playing in major league baseball number 175, starting in 1876. Twenty-five Yale alumni went to the majors and 10 each went from University of Connecticut and the University of New Haven.

Robinson's role in breaking the baseball color line, his pioneering days at UCLA, his friendship with a prominent Essex resident, and his experiences settling his family in Stamford will be covered in Miller's presentation. Robinson, who died in 1973, spent 10 seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers after being recruited by Branch Rickey. He was the first African-American to play in the majors in the modern era. (Moses Fleetwood Walker, an African-American graduate of Oberlin, played catcher in 1886 for an Eastern League team in Waterbury.)

During Robinson's Dodger career, he played in six World Series and six All-Star games. He was also the first African-American MVP. Robinson was an outstanding infielder with a career batting average of 0.311. He moved with his family to Cascade Road in North Stamford, integrating the neighborhood with the help of Andrea Simon, wife of Simon & Schuster founder Richard Simon and mother of singer Carly Simon.