Jackie Robinson was the first black man to ever play in an all white professional baseball league and he ended up becoming one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. When Jackie was only six months old his father left him and his mother was left single with five children, Jackie being the youngest (Robinson 1,2). When Jackie was one his mother moved his family to Pasadena, California (Robinson 4). Jackie Robinson was tormented throughout his career for being African American yet he persevered through it breaking the color barrier in sports making him one of the most beloved baseball players of all time.
Jackie Robinson had a very difficult childhood. When he was
…show more content…
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor Jackie was drafted into the army and was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas for basic training in a cavalry unit (Robinson 13). During Jackie’s time in the army he was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. Jackie was able to get an honorable discharge from the army and was released from prison shortly after the incident(bio.com). After his service in the army Jackie played in a negro baseball league. Shortly after that he was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers and was set to play for their farm team the Montreal Royals. About a year after this occurrence Jackie’s contract was purchased by the Dodgers and he was set to be the first black man to play in an all white league. This news was announced at a press conference when a Brooklyn Dodger representative stated “Brooklyn announces the purchase of the contract of Jack Roosevelt Robinson from Montreal” this momentous event in Jackie's life happened on Friday, April 11, 1947. Then on April 15 Jackie played his first game for the Dodgers and faced tremendous racism. Jackie ended up winning the rookie of the year title meaning he was the most productive player playing in their first year in the Major League. Throughout his rookie year Jackie faced a lot of racism, but he always had one man on his side, Branch Rickey. Mr. Rickey was always there to help Jackie through the racism and was the man with the idea of …show more content…
In 1949 he won National League MVP meaning he was the most valuable player in the league. Then in 1955 he won the World Series. Then soon after being traded from the Dodgers Jackie retired in 1957. Throughout his whole career Jackie continued to endure tremendous racism but with help of Branch Rickey and the growing support
First of all, Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player in the major leagues, setting an example so others could follow, integrating baseball forever. When he joined the major leagues, he “smashed the unwritten law that kept blacks out of the big leagues.”(Robinson) When he joined the Dodgers, he faced verbal and physical threats, angry and racist fans. Even with all these people hating him, he worked hard to be the best player he could be, not another NLB player. Robinson later said that Mr.Ricky “Chosen me as the person to lead the way.” When Jackie heard this, he responded by ignoring the bad things and focusing on the good things and people who gave him support.”I had become the first black player in the major leagues.”(Robinson) This shows that Jackie
Jackie’s greatest struggles were internal, “ he agreed to join the pact with Branch Rickey at his signing, mentioning how he wouldn’t allow himself to be provoked regardless of viciousness of the baiting”(Robinson 70). He had committed to what he realized the most threatening period of his overall career on the field. His career started to not only affect him as a person but his family. Opposing teams even on the Dodgers, Robinson encountered threats concealed within the mail and on the field. The threats he approached in his baseball career did not stop his dedication toward the sport. His weapon against prejudice was his excellent play towards the opposition. His commitment to the sport during the “called him to receive baseball first Rookie of the year award, and the team itself won the National League Pennant ”(Robinson 75). The support encouraged Jackie Robinson’s drive to success even more then before. On April 15, 1947 Jackie broke the barrier allowing other deserving African American players to the majors. Jackie inspires society showing how he came along way from rejection with the Red sox to playing for the Dodgers, because his
Jackie Robinson was an inspiring athletic African American baseball player who was known for breaking the “color barrier” in the MLB. He is one of the most known athletes from his time period. He was a hall of famer and won countless rewards during his career including rookie of the year his first year of his career in the MLB. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Ga.
To begin, on January 30th, 1919 Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. His parents were Mallie Robinson and Jerry Robinson. He was the youngest of 5 children. His siblings were Edgar, Frank, Mack, and Willa Mae. After Jackie was born His father left home. Mallie Robinson and the kids had to move to California when Jackie was young. It took over a week on the train ride to California. Jackie’s family was the only black family on their tree lined block in Pasadena. Jackie liked to watch his brother Mack play baseball in the sandlot. One day there wasn’t enough players on a team,
In 1919 Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. He was a black nice man and his neighborhood treated him bad and then he finally got over with it and started playing baseball. 20 years later he was grown up and got a call from a white guy. Branch Rickey was a white guy and owned the Dodgers and wanted Jackie to come play so that other black people can play in this league. They wanted a strong man who can take this stuff.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson was a Major League Baseball player. The Dodgers had called him up on assignment and Jackie immediately started working. In spring training of his first season, his Brooklyn teammates made a petition to prevent him from playing, but the manager of the team, Leo Durocher, put an end to the petition. On the field, Robinson was an outstanding player. In his first year, he was named the league’s most outstanding rookie. He led the national league in steals with 29. At the end of the season, America made him the second most popular celebrity in the nation. Robinson was named the National league Rookie of the Year, and was honored with a “Jackie Robinson Day” (York).
Jackie Robinson was also known as Jack Rossevelt Robinson. Jackie Robinson had very many struggles; Jackie was drafted and assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he faced racial discrimination on a daily basis, he was the first African American in baseball, transformed the face of American sports forever, and his father abandoned the family when Jackie was an infant, and forced his mother and four older siblings to join the "Great Migration" of the time and move to California. Jackie was born on January 31, 1919. He was born into a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. It is still said that he never "completely" knew his real father, but there are other stories to. Jackie's real father is also said to have left the family the same
Jackie Robinson was an American baseball player that initially broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Being the first in anything, a person faces several challenges in changing current practices, processes, or beliefs. For Jackie Robinson, he used his amazing athletic skills to overcome the challenges people created due to the color of his skin. Jackie was born on January 31st, 1919 in Cairo, GA to sharecroppers and died October 24th, 1972 in Stamford, CT at the age of 53. (2) Growing up, Jackie was the youngest of five children and played multiple sports excelling in four of them that included track, football, basketball, and baseball.(2) In addition to playing sports, he served in World War II in the United States Army
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. He was raised in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie had 4 siblings and was the youngest out of all of them. He broke the color barrier into the MLB on April 15, 1947 In 1947 Jackie signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie helped his team win the world series in 1955. He retired in 1957 with a career .313 batting average. After he retired MLB retired his number 42 so everybody wears his number on April 15 honoring him. He passed away on October 24,
The Dodgers’ manager, Branch Rickey, did not agree with baseball’s white-only policy, (Bilyeu, 2012). When Rickey found Jackie, he told him, “I’m looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back.” To his luck, Jackie agreed to be this player for him, (Chadwick, 1992). Robinson began playing on the Montreal Royal, the Dodgers’ farm team in 1946. On April 15, 1947 Jackie took the field as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Before Jackie Robinson became the most famous African-American baseball player in the Major Leagues. He signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. In 1947 he was named Rookie of the Year, National League MVP and also was a World Series champion in 1955. Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. (“Jackie Robinson”). Jackie had played four sports at
The legacy of Jackie Robinson goes beyond the April 15, 1947 afternoon at Ebbets Field, when the Brooklyn Dodger infielder became the first black in the 20th century to play baseball in the major leagues. He changed the sport, and he changed the attitude of a lot of people in this country, Jackie Robinson fought for all the people that were fortunate, a lot of them are, especially the minority guys, to be able to play in the major leagues and the impact on the people of color today.
Jackie Robinson began to make history since 1947 when he first broke baseball’s color barrier to be on the team of the Dodgers. Robinson was extremely talented and won the National League Rookie of the Year award his first season of playing in MLB, and accompanied the Dodgers to the National League championship, which was only the first of his six trips to the World Series. After a successful season with the minor league Montreal Royals in 1946, The ending of segregation in baseball was official when he was given a Dodgers uniform with the famous number 42, in 1947 of April. Just two years later Robinson won the league MVP award and was awarded into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Although Robinson gave off an extreme amount of confidence and strength, Robinson faced tons of insults and threats because of the color of his skin. Robinson, being so courageous for still doing what he loved although constantly getting
Jackie Robinson was a former army lieutenant who after being discharged from the army in 1944 began to play baseball professionally in the negro leagues but was soon signed by Branch Rickey president of the Brooklyn Dodgers to play baseball for them therefore making him the first ever African American to play Major League Baseball. After being signed he started his career in the Minor Leagues playing for the Montreal Royals and then soon after on April 15, 1947 not only did he change the game of baseball forever but made history by becoming the first ever African American to play in a Major League Baseball Game. Jackie Robinson was harassed for being African American by many people but most notably by Philadelphia Phillies manager at the time Ben Chapman. Ben Chapman during one game yelled racist comments towards Jackie Robinson and not only did the Philadelphia Phillies threaten to not play against Jackie Robinson but even his own teammates threatened not to play with him until men like Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop and team captain Pee Wee Reese, League President Ford Frick, and many others defended Jackie Robinsons right to play Major League Baseball. In one famous incident while fans were booing Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese went over to Jackie Robinson and put his arm around Jackie Robinson and famously said "Maybe tomorrow
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