Jackie Robinson

Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College after high school. That is where he continued his athletic career. He played on the football team, baseball team, and he broke school broad-jumping records. Most of Jackie's teammates were white. In 1938,

In 1949, Robinson moved to second base and won the National League's Most Valuable Player award while leading the Dodgers to the National League title. He led the league in stolen bases with thirty seven and finished on top with a .342 batting average. He also played in the first All-Star game alongside Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. By this time Robinson was famous throughout the world. He had a string of six consecutive seasons batting over .300 and became renowned for his daring steals of home. In 1951, he again led the league with a .338 batting average. In the last game of the season the Dodgers were tied against

Even before the integration of baseball, Robinson displayed his intolerance for racism. While in the army, Robinson was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. On a public bus, Robinson refused to move to the back when ordered to do so by a commanding officer. He was then court marshaled, but later acquitted (African American Biographies 106). Even though the dispute resulted in Robinson’s honorable discharge, it made clear Robinson’s stance on bigotry. This event would become a major factor in his selection to integrate baseball.

The retelling of Robinson’s story has been retold many times from the perspective of baseball. Jack Roosevelt Johnson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo Georgia, the youngest of five children during a Spanish flu and smallpox epidemic. When Jackie was very young his father abandoned the family. Now Jackie’s mother Mollie Robinson, had to find a better life for her family. Due to Jim Crow laws Mollie could not buy a house for her family, because they were barred from certain neighborhoods for whites only. Despite this fact Mollie didn’t care she persuaded a light skinned black man to act is if he was buying a house in Pasadena, California. (MSR News) Then the Robinson’s moved in, whites were furious and threatened to burn them out of the house. Mollie ignored the threats and went about her business. This strength and cunning shown b their mother showed the kids how to fight for what they believe in, and to never stop believing and pursuing

The story of Jackie Robinson has become one of America's most iconic and inspiring stories. Since 1947, American history has portrayed Jackie Robinson as a hero, and he has been idolized as a role model to the African American baseball community. It is an unarguable fact that he was the first to tear down the color barriers within professional baseball. The topic of Robinson’s role in integration has long been a point of discussion amongst baseball historians. Researchers have accumulated thousands of accredited documents and interviews with friends and team mates such as short stop, Pee Wee Reese, and team owner, Branch Rickey. However, few journalists have asked why Robinson was selected and what was Branch

From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. However he never saw combat. During boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson was arrested and court martialed in 1944 for not giving up his seat and move to the back of a segregated bus. Robinsons excellent reputation combined with the efforts of friends, the NAACP and various black newspapers, shed public light on the injustice. Ultimately he was acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in Major League

Jackie Robinson's entry into the Major Leagues was far from a walk in the park. He climbed over countless obstacles just to play with white men, some of which, he was better then. He not only had to compete with the returning players from the war, but he also contended with racism. "Many towns in the South did not want racially mixed teams"(Weidhorn 53). As time went on, cities realized that Robinson offered them free publicity.

Branch Rickey scouted the Negro leagues for experienced players before obtaining Robinson’s contract. Branch Rickey wanted to end the color barrier from African-Americans to play in organized sports. Robinson was the first African-American to play in the Major League Baseball. Despite fellow teammates and opposing teams trying to defeat and purposely hurt him, he played on. Robinson proved everyone wrong with his unique ability to let this roll off his back and play the sport he loved. Everyone could see Robinson’s ability to rise above adversity by him winning multiple awards and stealing home from third base. Swain, Rick. “Jackie Robinson” sabr.org McFarland,

In addition to his 1949 MVP Award, Robinson was also voted to be the starting second baseman in the 1949 All-Star Game. This was a very big deal, because it was the first All-Star game to include black

Jackie was a phenomenal athlete for young kids to look up to. After the start of World War II he served in the military from 1942 to 1944. After the war he returned to his love for baseball, playing in the Black major leagues. He was chosen by Branch Rickey, vice president of the Brooklyn dodgers, to help integrate the Major Leagues. Rickey hated segregation just as much as Robinson and wanted to change things “Rickey had once seen a Black college player turned away from a hotel… Rickey never forgot seeing this player crying because he was denied a place to lay his weary head just because of the color of his skin” (Mackenzie). He was finally able to do something about segregation and help change baseball and the United States for the better. It wasn’t that all the teams were racist and didn’t want a black player but when the major league teams had an away game they would rent out the stadium to the black teams for them to play at. And the executives of teams didn’t want to loose the money that they were making off of the black teams. “League owners would lose significant rental revenue” (“Breaking”). He soon signed with the all-white Montreal Royals a farm team for the Dodgers. Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, “leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage” (Robinson). After Robinson’s outstanding year he was promoted to the Dodgers he played his first game on

In the middle of the 1860’s the Jim Crow laws were established, and the laws were revoked in 1965. Robinson played baseball in a time where these laws affected his chance in major league baseball team. Before Rickey drafted Robinson he pondered on whether or not Robinson would be accepted, or the people would take him off of the team. Whites would take him off of the team because he is black, for example, in the movie there is a scene where people chant words, telling Robinson to go home. Currently the Jim Crow laws cease to exist, therefore, the opinions on whether or not African Americans should play on a major league baseball team is not a problem. Although segregation was a major problem in the past, there should not have been a concern on whether or not African Americans should play

Jackie Robinson Born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia became the first black athlete to play major league baseball in the 20th century. Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, and distinguished himself as a civil rights activist and talented baseball player. Jackie Robinson died in Connecticut 1972. Robinson who was the youngest of 5 children was raised by a single mother. He attended John Muir High school and Pasadena Junior college where he played four sports such as Football, Baseball, Track, and Basketball. He was named the region’s Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938. Jackie’s older brother, Matthew Robinson is what inspired him to go forward with his talent and love for sports.

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in the modern MLB. Branch Rickey signed Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945 because he realized there were many talented athletes in the Negro League. Robinson was on the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1956. Rickey knew Robinson would get lots of booing and insults on the field, but he knew Robinson could control his anger. The year he entered the Major Leagues the threats, insults and abuse got worse. He didn’t let it get to him and that year, his batting average was .297 and scored 127 runs.

Robinson was very successful before, during and after he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first athlete to letter four sports, baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball during the modern era. He was an active member of the Negro League baseball team. He joined the army after he played in the Negro League for many years. During his career, he was rewarded as the National Rookie of the year, Most Valuable player, he was a League Batting Camp, and he made it to the Hall of Fame within his first year of baseball. After his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957 he became a businessman and a civil rights leader. He preceded in death on October 24th

Robinson was named Most Valuable Player of the International League while playing for the Montreal Royals, a Brooklyn Dodgers affiliated farm team. He lead the league with the highest batting average and base percentage. Robinson always suffered multiple falls but managed to go through them. There were always racist whites calling him racial names, but Robinson remained strong for the faith he had in himself. Robinson broke a color and racial barrier, not only for american baseball, but changed the society of America.