Inspiring Life of a Baseball Legend
"I'm not concerned with you liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being;” this is quoted by one of the best baseball players in the Major League Baseball Association, Jackie Robinson. Robinson was born into slavery on a plantation shack in Cairo, Georgia. Soon after Robinson was born, his father ran away with the neighbor’s wife thus leaving Robinson and his family behind. The plantation owner soon ordered his family and him to leave the plantation, to which his mother, Mallie Robinson moved to California to live with her brother who lived out there (“Jackie Robinson” Notable). After three years of living in California, the Robinsons moved out of Burton McGriff’s house and
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bought a new house on Pepper Street in Pasadena; the house was still in the poorer parts of the area. Robinson grew up in an era that racism was everywhere and was almost impossible to avoid. He grew up in areas of poverty and racial prejudices, but to avoid the racist comments Robinson found himself getting through the racism by playing sports. His brother, Matthew Robinson, influenced him to follow his dreams and pursue his passion with sports (“Jackie Robinson” Biography). Matthew won a silver medal in the Olympics, but not many people remember it because he was treated as a regular person when he got back from them. He was accepted as any other child in sport because of his athleticism, because the school needed him to win games or events. Jackie Robinson had a positive influence not only on the sporting industry, but on racism as a whole by overcoming adversities, becoming a multi-sport all star, and being an inspiration to many. Robinson’s influence on the sporting industry and racism stemmed from his success in overcoming adversity. Robinson is most known for breaking the color barrier in baseball. He was born into poverty and spent many of his early years in poverty. Often his neighbors who also lived in poverty would send in false complaints to the police about Robinson and other African American children saying they were throwing rocks and vandalizing the area (“Jackie Robinson” Notable). When he was playing sports he found himself overcoming all of his troubles winning the events or helping by contributing many points towards the team win. Robinson left college before he graduated due to using up his athletic eligibility. Soon after Robinson left college he was drafted into World War II where he was stationed at Fort Riley. Throughout the two years of being in the army Robinson acquired the rank of a lieutenant and was in charge of an all black unit, but he never gave up on trying to receive the treatment he felt he needed. He continued to overcome adversities and racism by trying to eradicate the unfair treatment of blacks in the military (“Jackie Robinson” American). When stationed at Fort Riley he was arrested and court-martialed due to not giving his seat up to a white soldier (“Jackie Robinson” Biography). The judge dropped the charges on Robinson, and due to that incident, he was honorably discharged from the military. Throughout his baseball career,he had to overcome many adversities.When the team would stay at hotels, he would have to find somewhere to sleep due to no blacks allowed to sleep in the same hotel as whites. Other players would target him due to the color of his skin by trying to spike him sliding into bases. His biggest accomplishment was breaking the color barrier in baseball which soon led to other sports on April 15, 1947, when he played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Fans would often scream racist comments at Robinson when he was up to bat, they would also throw watermelon slices at him as a racist act, but he never stopped achieving greatness. While overcoming adversities were a part of Robinson’s everyday life, it helped him become a multi-sport athlete.
Most people only remember or know Robinson from his incredible baseball career ,but little people know that he was an all star in many sport.Throughout his track career he managed to jump a twenty five feet, six and a half inches, just before he helped his high school team win the championship. Robinson attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), after he accepted a scholarship from them(Noble Sports Figures). He played four sports in college: baseball, basketball, football, and track. Some days he would have to go from one practice to the next due to the overlapping of the sports he was playing. Leading the nation Robinson rushed for an average of twelve yards per carry during his freshman season at UCLA. Not only did he play all four sports,but he managed to letter in all four of them and became the first person at UCLA to do it. His best and most popular sport, baseball he was one of the best to ever play the game. After he was drafted into the war and was discharged from the army, he joined the Kansas City Monarchs (“Jackie Robinson” Notable). Throughout his career with them, he played shortstop and was led by their all star pitcher Satchel Paige. The Dodgers manager Branch Rickey, was watching Robinson, and eventually offered him a spot on their minor league team. It was not an easy process Rickey had to make sure Robinson was prepared so …show more content…
Rickey posed as a racist clerk to make sure Robinson had the guts not to fight back. After being on the minor league team Rickey asked Robinson to be on the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier by playing first base for them. During his first year on the team Dodgers attendance went up setting new records as Robinson was one of the most exciting players in all of baseball. That year, Robinson led the league in stolen bases as well as he won the Rookie of the Year (“Jackie Robinson” American). Throughout the next couple years Robinson continued to impress fans and everyone involved in the sport by averaging over a .300 batting average and always contending for the top spot of stolen bases. Robinson was always a threat on the base path. He would always keep pitchers aware of him by keeping large leads off first that would take the pressure off the batter. To catchers he was always a threat because he led the nation in stealing home when he was on third. With lightning fast speed Robinson, he could turn what should be singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Robinson will go down as one of the best baseball players of all time with his contribution to ending racism in the sporting industry and also with his amazing stats such as averaging a .311 batting average and being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Robinson’s number 42 has been retired from every baseball club in the nation (“Jackie Robinson” American). Consequently, Robinson became an inspiration not only to athlete, but society as a whole. Bill Russell, a Hall of Fame basketball player was only thirteen years old when Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. Bill Russell looked at Robinson as his hero, he was determined to go further than Robinson did in the sporting industry, with the determination that Robinson had. Bill Russell quoted, “Jackie was the first,” he said. “ I was not going to revisit from A to B. I was going to go from B to C. That’s why I was determined to go further in basketball than he did in baseball,” (Bill Russell). Russell was even asked to be the pallbearer at Robinson's funeral as Robinson’s favorite athlete when he retired was Russell. Another athlete was Hank Aaron, a baseball Hall of Famer and also vice president for the Milwaukee Braves. Aaron was just 14 years old when Robinson broke the barrier. Aaron said that before Robinson thinking about becoming a major leaguer was out of the question. Aaron throughout his career in baseball thought of Robinson as the reason why he was meant to be out there, and during a speech that Robinson gave at Aaron's hometown, he could not even hear a word he said because Aaron was in such awe (Rednour Jim). Athletes were not the only ones to be affected by Robinson’s accomplishments, but the society were also affected. When Robinson was on the come up of his baseball career World War II just ended, but countries could not look at America as a free country when they were holding prejudices against their own people (Effect on Society). When Robinson and the Dodgers started their way to success it brought the American people together so that blacks and whites were united as one group. Overcoming adversities, becoming a multi-sport athlete and inspiring people helped Robinson to positively influence not only the sporting industry, but racism as a whole. Adversities were only one slight thing that Robinson had to overcome on his way to fame. He changed the way that white people looked at black people and changed the world around him through baseball. His careers in all of his sports he played were incredible from his high school years all the way until he retired from baseball in January of 1957. Every sport no matter what it was Robinson would put his whole heart and soul into it and never gave up until he achieved greatness. Society was affected by Robinson in many ways, but bringing the people together and breaking the barrier was his biggest achievement of them all. Many athletes were inspired by Robinson and their achievements in their careers were based and created from Robinson. Jackie Robinson reminds people of the true meaning of life: “I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.”(American Decades). Works Cited “Bill Russell Says Jackie Robinson ‘Was a Hero’ to Him, Inspired Him to Pursue Head Coaching Job.” NESN.com, 15 Apr.
2013, nesn.com/2013/04/bill-russell-says-jackie-robinson-was-a-hero-to-him-inspired-him-to-pursue-head-coaching-job/.
“Effect on Society.” Jackie Robinson: A Man Who Changed Sports Forever,
jackierobinsonchangedsports.weebly.com/effect-on-society.html.
“Jackie Robinson.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Feb. 2017,
www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813#synopsis.
"Jackie Robinson." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., Gale, 1998. Biography
in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1602000840/BIC1?u=gree71958&xid=ec044a44.
"Jackie Robinson." Notable Sports Figures, edited by Dana R. Barnes, Gale, 2004. Biography in
Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2440301436/BIC1?u=gree71958&xid=a5dded1a.
Rednour, Jim. “Hank Aaron Followed in Jackie Robinson's Footprints.” Home - 500 Home Run Club
- The Most Inspiring Sluggers in Baseball History,
www.500hrc.com/700-hrc-articles/hank-aaron-followed-in-jackie-robinson-s-footprints.html.
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Georgia. On this day, a legend arrived. Jackie was raised by his mother, and his mother alone. His father left before Jackie was born, and he didn’t remember one thing about him. Jackie had many siblings, brothers and sisters. Jackie had an older brother named Matthew, who was also very athletic. Jackie’s mother tried the best she could to raise these boys right, and teach them that no matter what the whites called them...they were special.
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major-League baseball. His inspiring actions and wise words are remembered even now, and on Jackie Robinson day, all baseball players wear his jersey:“42”. Many biographies have been written, and one biography, The Noble Experiment. Recently, in April 2013, Legendary Motion Pictures released a movie entitled “42”. In many ways, the film and Jackie’s autobiography are alike. However, the are also different in many ways.
Jack Roosevelt Johnson was born in the very segregated south in Cairo, Georgia around 1919. Jackie grew up loving baseball and knew that is what he wanted to do. About two decades before Jackie was born the MLB was split between white and Negro leagues. Jackie being an African-American, of course played for the Negro Leagues. He strived in this sport. He lead the Negro League with most stolen bases and had a great batting average. Both his statistics and love for the game brought the name Jackie Robinson to the attention of the Brooklyn Dodger's manager Branch Rickey.
“In 1946, there were sixteen Major League Baseball teams, with a total of 400 players on their rosters, every one of the players was white. But when opening day came in 1947, that number dropped to 399, and one man stood apart. (42 2:30)” Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut on April 15, 1947, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Making Jackie Robinson the first African-American to play Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackie’s transition from the Negro Leagues to MLB was not an easy one. As a player, he transitioned very well, but it was Robinson’s teammates, Dodgers fans, the opposing teams and their fans that tested Jackie every chance they got, some hotels even prohibited the Dodgers to stay in their establishments
He spent his whole professional career with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947-1956. He put up crazy numbers during his career which led to 6 all-star team selections, a World Series championship, Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, 2 time stolen base leader and a league batting champion. Jackie wore number 42, which was later retired by the MLB. He was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. Jackie Robinson should not only be recognized for his on-field accomplishments, but for what it took for him to get there as well. Throughout all of the racism in America and baseball, he endured it and pushed through it to set himself up for ultimate success. He endured the hardships of being the only African-American in the league at the time and taking all the hate from the racists, while still putting up remarkable numbers. Even as a white man during the time of integration in baseball you could have nothing but respect for Jackie Robinson. Especially if you were a Dodgers fan, considering he did accomplish many things not even the best white baseball players were
In 1947 Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers desperately wanted Robinson to play for him and his team. He would become the first black MLB player since 1889 when baseball became discriminated. In his first year he was the Rookie of the Year. He debuted in the International League with the Montreal Royals. This the led to Branch’s interest in Robinson since he was considered one of the best players in the International League and considering it was his first time playing with white men.
There are various people in the world who are very influential in many different ways. The people who are influential are the people who inspire people to not give up, people who stand up for what they believe in, and people who overcome difficult things in their life. One of those people is the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is influential because of his accomplishments, courageousness, and also his ability to stay strong and fight for his rights.
Branch Rickey had been around baseball all his life. He was a player, coach, manager, and team owner for over sixty years. Branch Rickey was nominated into baseball’s hall of fame and on his plaque it mentions his signing of Jackie Robinson. Branch Rickey chose Robinson because he knew he would be able to take all the abuse and keep his cool. Also, he knew Robinson was an outstanding ball player. Branch Rickey has always wanted to integrate baseball since early in his career. Rickey was looking for a strong person who would be able to take the public scrutiny, avoid confrontation, and also a talented ball player. Rickey set his eyes on Robinson because he has had experience in integrating other sports. Robinson attended UCLA and lettered in four other sports.
An African-American man who faced Racism and insult of White people. He was born in Cairo, Georgia. But, because his family were African American, he faced poverty, which cause him to live hard time, during childhood. In 1920, Robinson’s family decided to moveto Pasadena, California. When he went to school, Jackie got a lots of scout by a school coach. In high school, Jackie mastered most of the sports, like baseball, football.etc. After his graduation of his high school, Jackie went college in Pasadena. Two years later, he went to the UCLA. But because of his skin color, professional team didn’t scout him on their team. Also, lots of sports teams were segregated during 1930-1940. In 1941, he left the UCLA and help his mother. However, Jackie has to join army for WWII. After he came back in early 1945, Kansas City Monarchs scouted him, and decided to play baseball as his career. But, Because he didn’t play as professional Baseball player, He had to get use to play. However, Jackie already had all the necessary abilities for baseball. During the season, Boston Redsoxs proposed a contract with him. However, Because of the racism action by white people, the deal failed. Lots of sports teams also tried to transfer African American player to Major league. However he decided transfer to Los angeles Dodgers. During the game(in Dodgers), he had lots of insult by other players. However, he endures the
Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.
Jackie Robinson, born Jack Roosevelt Robinson, is known for being the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia as the grandson of a slave. He was the youngest of five children and at six months old his father left them. At this time, because it was so hard for African-Americans in the south, his mother Mallie Robinson decided to move them to Pasadena, California where it was easier for African-Americans to live and find jobs.
To the average person, in the average American community, Jackie Robinson was just what the sports pages said he was, no more, no less. He was the first Negro to play baseball in the major leagues. Everybody knew that, but to see the real Jackie Robinson, you must de-emphasize him as a ball player and emphasize him as a civil rights leader. That part drops out, that which people forget. From his early army days, until well after his baseball days, Robinson had fought to achieve equality among whites and blacks. "Jackie acted out the philosophy of nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr., before the future civil rights leader had thought of applying it to the problem of segregation in America"(Weidhorn 93). Robinson was an avid member of the NAACP and helped recruit members because of his fame from baseball. Jackie had leadership qualities and the courage to fight for his beliefs. Unwilling to accept the racism he had run into all his life, he had a strong need to be accepted at his true worth as a first-class citizen. Robinson was someone who would work for a cause - that of blacks and of America - as well as for himself and his team.
Whether it was on the football field, on the basketball court, or out on the baseball field, Robinson encountered quite a bit of success wherever he went. (cite) Despite the talents of many African American baseball players, many were deemed inferior to their white counterparts. The sense of inferiority led many baseball players and owners of the teams in the Negro leagues to adjust to the status quo, however, Robinson was not one to simply seek to fulfill the status quo. Robinson was unwilling to conform with what mainstream society tried to force him to conform with, he constantly told his teammates that they should always be ready, someday one of them would be signed to break the color barrier and play in organized ball (cite to pg 48). Unlike many of his peers, he felt a different calling in the sport of baseball.
...as handled by his courage were the first few years he was signed on to the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the interview between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, Dodgers president, said to Robinson:
Jackie Robinson was an amazing athlete. He played four sports and was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938, at a time when black people were not so readily accepted into the the sports world. With hard work and perseverance Jackie went to the University of California, in Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. Jackie was also a lieutenant in the U.S army, but he never saw combat. He then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where he became a semi professional football player. After he was in the army he went to the Negro Leagues. During his time in the Negro Leagues, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking to bring black prospects into Major League Baseball (MLB) to break the color barrier of