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Sport:
Baseball
Position:
Second
Base
Team:
Brooklyn Dodgers
Number:
42
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Jackie
Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo,
Georgia. Just a year after is birth, his mother
moved him and his four siblings to Pasadena,
California after Jackie's father deserted them.
Jackie had a passion for sports at an early
age and played football, baseball, basketball,
and track for UCLA (The University of California
at Los Angeles). He would become the first person
in the history of UCLA to earn varsity letters
in four different sports. He excelled in all
four sports and led the Pacific Coast Conference
(now the Pac-10) in scoring as a basketball
player. Furthermore, he was a national champion
long jumper.
In
1941, however, Jackie left college because of
financial difficulties and joined the U.S. Army.
Robinson became first lieutenent of the 761st
Tank Battalion, a group of Black soldiers. By
federal law, Black soldiers were not allowed
to fight alongside White soldiers. Robinson,
however, never accompanied the battalion in
combat. He was court-martialed for refusing
an order from a bus driver to move to the back
of the bus. He was eventually acquitted from
the charges.
In
1944, Jackie joined the Kansas City Monarchs
of the Negro Baseball League. He was soon noticed
by a baseball scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Although there was no law against signing Black
baseball players in the Major Leagues, there
was an "unwritten rule" against it.
Attempts to sign players from the Negro Leagues
had been rebuffed in the past. Nevertheless,
the Dodgers owner, Blanche Rickey, had begun
a secret mission to sign the top players from
the Negro Leagues. In 1946, Rickey signed Jackie
Robinson to a Major League contract and designated
him for assignment on the Dodgers minor league
team in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). While Robinson
was welcomed in Canada, the situation in the
United States was less than cordial. On April
15, 1947, amidst incredible fanfare and controversy,
Jackie Robinson was called up to the Major Leagues.
He became the first Black player in 57 years
to play in a Major League baseball game.
During
Robinson's first year he endured racism, taunting,
and intolerance. Some of his teammates even
threatened to stop playing rather than have
Jackie as a teammate. Nevertheless, Blanche
Rickey and several of the Dodgers players supported
Jackie. Despite the obstacles that stood in
his way, Jackie proved his integrity and strength
as a person. He went on to have a stellar baseball
career. He led the Major Leagues in stolen bases
in 1947 and became the Major League Baseball
Rookie of the Year. In 1949, he was named the
National League's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
That year, he had 203 hits and belted 16 home
runs. He also knocked in 124 runs and stole
37 bases. He batted .342. After five more stellar
years, Jackie Robinson led the Brooklyn Dodgers
to their only World Series victory in 1955.
They won the championship in seven games over
the rival New York Yankees (although when the
Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles they won
several more titles). In 1956, Jackie Robinson
chose to end his baseball career after eight
seasons at the age of 37. He ended his career
with a .311 lifetime average. Furthermore, Jackie
Robinson stole home 19 times. To this day, no
other player since the World War II era has
stolen home as many times. He was an all-star
6 times in his short career.
In
1962, Jackie Robinson was inducted into the
Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame. He died
on October 24, 1972. On the 50th anniversary
of his Major League debut (April 15, 1947),
Major League Baseball retired him number, 42.
It will never be worn again by any major league
player on any team. April 15th was also named
Jackie Robinson Day. To this day, Jackie Robinson
remains a hero. He was a pioneer in breaking
"The Color Barrier" in professional
sports and paved the way for thousands of African-American
athletes in dozens of sports. On October 29,
2003, United States Congress honored him (after
his death) with the Congressional Gold Medal
- the highest honor Congress can give.
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