Korean Players in Major League Baseball

Jackie Robinson started playing baseball in 1947. He was the first player who played in the black man league and joined the white man team. He was used to playing in the Negro League and the style of play; it was a hard transition for Jackie to get used to the white man league. Jackie was the main symbol of hope to millions of people.

In 1947 if you were any race other than white could not play in major league baseball. “Jackie Robinson, took the first steps toward integrating the sport's major league teams when he signed a contract to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947” (Smith para 1). Jackie Robinson was the first African-American player in the major league baseball. If Jackie Robinson didn’t sign to the Dodgers then who knows how segregated baseball or the world in general would be. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the first to sign an African-American on there team. The Brooklyn Dodger coach ask for Jackie Robinson to come out and talk to him.

Jackie Robinson was an African-American who played for a “Negro League” for a team call the Kansas City Monarchs. Their team colors being white with thin red stripes going vertically down the uniform. But a manager from the MLB’s jaw dropped to the floor when he saw how great of a player Jackie was, and decided to do something that nobody ever thought would happen. “I had never seen a ball player,” stated the Dodgers manager. “quite like Jackie Robinson.” He drafted Jackie Robinson in to the MLB for a team called the Brooklyn Dodgers, but just because something good happens, doesn’t mean that there will a few obstacles along the way.

The game of baseball evolved immensely during the 1900’s. There were new rules and rule changes, new teams in new states, and then there was Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was a true legend from the day he was born in 1919. Baseball had it all in the first half of the 1900’s, fans filled the stadiums day after day, even during the war times. There was a big-name player on almost every team, children and adults admired these professional baseball players. The only thing professional baseball didn’t have during these times were African American players. Learning about the hardships that he had to overcome as a young boy, and the accomplishments he made from his college days at UCLA, to becoming the first African American professional baseball player, Jackie made it known that he was an American hero.

Jackie chose to play baseball. Baseball at the time was segregated and whites and blacks played in separate leagues. He began playing for the Montreal royals after being noticed by Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn dodgers. The Montreal royals were an all white baseball team at the time but when Jackie started playing with them, it began to change. Jackie became the first African American to play on an all white baseball team.

As Rickey told Jackie what he was looking for in a black ballplayer that was strong enough not to fight back against the abuse and discrimination. Jackie signed the contract on October 23, 1945, and was sent to the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league team, the Montreal Royals.(Rampersad, 135). When Robinson and the Royals arrived to Florida for spring training, Jackie got a taste of racism. Jackie was not allowed to sleep at the hotel where his fellow teammates were because of the racial segregating, Jim Crow laws.(Harnischfeger, Corey). Robinson was feeling the pressure of racial discrimination but with the help of Rachel he continued to pursue to the MLB. On April 18th, 1946, Robinson made his long awaited minor league debut. He ended up complying 4 hit out of 5 at bats with one homerun. At the end of the season, Jackie won the most valuable player award. (Rampersad, 136-155). Before the start of the 1947 season, Robinson was called up to the MLB’s Brooklyn Dodgers. Then On April 15, 1947, Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in front of 26 thousand plus people, with many of the attendees being African Americans. Jackie Robinson being called up to the MLB brought some racial tension. Jackie was the subject of death threats from fans and even players, including some teammates, not wanting to play on the same field as him.(Tygiel, 125). When some of Jackie’s

Because of this Robinson was able to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League at the same time Branch Rickey (Part owner of the Dodgers) was looking to implement what can be defined as a social experiment by introducing an African American into the Major Leagues. Robinson played his first game April 15, 1947 and much like the neighborhood he grew up in he endured constant death threats and harassment from the audience and other players.

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.

He liked Robinson’s family life off the field and how he dealt with adversity. Rickey’s main fear was the harsh discrimination Jackie would get, so Branch held a historic meeting with Jackie, and said the harshest things to him to see if Jackie could withstand it, and on October 23, 1945, Robinson signed his first contract. Rickey thought Jackie would be more comfortable playing in Canada for the Dodgers minor league team, the Montreal Royals. Turns out, Rickey was right. Jackie gained tons of fans in Canada, and at the end of the season, Jackie led the minor leagues in batting and runs scored. The Royals also won the minor league pennant that year.

A few years later Jackie won the NL’s Most Valuable Player of the Year award and also won the batting title with an average of .342 . After this Jackie won the World Series Pennant in 1955 and soon after retired from the game. Over his ten year career Jackie was selected to six All-Star Games. A few games where the Monarchs (the Dodgers minor league team) went to southern states to play , police officers would tell Jackie he couldn't play and because this was a law he couldn't say anything.

Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson did more in his short baseball career than anyone else ever did for the sport. He was always able to push on despite the criticisms and punishment he took from others. No other man can say that they broke the color barrier or that they changed the sport of baseball forever. To do what he did required strength and the ability to endure physical and mental pain. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American Major League Baseball player.

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

Even though Robinson had to face racial abuse, he had an absolute great start with the Royals. He lead the International League with a .349 batting average and a .985 fielding percentage. (“Jackie Robinson.”) Due to his successfulness, he earned a promotion with the Dodgers.

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31st 1919. In 1947, at the age of 28, Jackie became the first African American to break the “color line” of Major League Baseball when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. During his tenure with the Dodgers, Jackie was not simply an average player. Among various other accolades, Mr. Robinson was a starter on six World Series teams as well as being named the National League Rookie of The Year in 1947. His advantageous career was then capped in 1962 when he was inducted in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.1 Contrary to popular belief, Jackie's perseverance in implementing racial integration extended beyond his career in Major League Baseball. During the Sixties Jackie Robinson was a

The Major League Baseball (MLB) was a segregated organization until Jackie Robinson came along. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in the MLB. Before Jackie, all African-Americans had to play in the Negro Leagues because they were not allowed in the MLB. Jackie Joined the league in 1947 and got a lot of backlash from fans. People did not want him to play because they thought that he was not good enough or that he was not worthy enough because of his race. Jackie and his family would get death threats from angry whites that wanted him out of the league. His house and belongings would get vandalized and destroyed. People would verbally and physically abuse him but Jackie would stand strong and take it like a real man. Despite the amount of hatred and backlash Jackie Robinson endured his first year in the league, he was named Rookie of the Year for the National League. Jackie Robinson was a very important role model for African-Americans, he showed bravery, courage, and determination.