who was the owner of the dodgers when jackie robinson played
Branch Rickey Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 â€“ December 9, 1965) was an American sports executive. He was perhaps best known for breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing African American player Jackie Robinson, for drafting the first Hispanic superstar, Roberto Clemente, for creating the framework for the modern minor league farm system, for encouraging the Major Leagues to add new teams through his involvement in the proposed Continental League, and for introducing the batting helmet. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.