“I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being” - Jackie Robinson
(Jackie Robinson)
Jackie Robinson was born as Jack Robinson on January 31st 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, USA. In 1920 Robinson’s father left the family.
(Robinson as a child)
His family then moved to California. As a kid Robinson joined a local gang. In 1935 he graduated from high school and enrolled in Muir Tech. He played several sports such as football, basketball, track, tennis and baseball. In 1936 Robinson won the junior boys singles championship in the annual Pacific Coast Negro Tennis Tournament. He then attended Pasadena Junior College. He also was an athlete at this school as well.
(Robinson in 1936)
In 1938 he was elected to the All Southland Junior College Team for baseball and selected as the region's Most Valuable Player. Also in 1938 he was arrested after vocally disputing the detention of a black friend by police. Also in 1938 his brother died in an motorcycle accident.
(Robinson in 1938)
In 1939 he enrolled at UCLA. He became the school's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. In 1940 he won the NCAA Men’s Track and Field championship.
(Robinson (Center) in 1940)
In 1941 he left college. He then moved to Hawaii. He then returned to California. In 1942 he was drafted into the army.
(Robinson in 1942)
While in the army Robinson became friends with Joe Louis. In 1943 he became 2nd lieutenant. In 1944 Robinson was arrested for not sitting in the back of an unsegregated military bus. He was court martialed and acquitted. In 1945 he joined the Kansas City Monarchs Negro League Team. He also appeared in the 1945 Negro League All Star Game. Robinson and a few other Black players tried out for the Boston Red Sox MLB team. No one made it onto the Red Sox team due to racial prejudice.
(Robinson in 1945)
He was then signed to the Montreal Royals minor league team. In 1946 he was married to Rachel Isum.
(Robinson (Left) with his wife Rachel Isum (Right))
In the same year he was named the minor league’s MVP. In 1947 he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers MLB team. Since 1880 he became the 1st player to break the color line in baseball.
(Robinson in 1947)
A lot of Dodgers players refused to play with Robinson. Other teams also did not want to play against Robinson. Some Dodgers players gave Robinson support. At the end of the season Robinson had a batting average of .297, an on-base percentage of .383, and a .427 slugging percentage. He also had 125 scoring runs. He won the MLB rookie of the year award. In 1948 the Dodgers finished 3rd in the season. Also in 1948 a book about his was released.
(Robinson in 1948)
In 1949 Robinson won the MVP award and participated in the 1949 All Star game. In 1950 led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman with 133. Also in 1950 a movie was released about him called The Jackie Robinson Story and he starred himself.
(Robinson (Center) in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story (1950))
In 1951 Robinson led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman for the second year in a row with 137. He finished the season with 106 runs. In 1952 he finished the season with 104 runs. The Dodgers won the 1952 national league pennant.
(Robinson in 1952)
In 1953 Robinson finished the season with 109 runs. The Dodgers won the 1953 national league pennant. In 1954 he finished the season with 62 runs.
(Robinson in 1954)
In 1955 the Dodgers won the World Series.
(Robinson in 1955)
In 1956 he finished the season with 61 runs. In 1957 Robinson retired from baseball. He was also diagnosed with diabetes the same year.
(Robinson in 1957)
Also in 1957 he was the vice president of the “Chock full o’Nuts” corporation. He also served on the NAACP’s board. In 1962 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
(Robinson in 1962)
In 1965 he was an analyst for ABC’s Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts. In 1966 Robinson was hired as general manager for the short lived Brooklyn Dodgers of the Continental Football League.
(Robinson in 1966)
In 1970 he established the Jackie Robinson Construction Company. In 1972 he served as a part time commentator on Montreal Expos telecasts. Also in 1972 the Dodgers retired his uniform number “42”. Also in 1972 he made his final public appearance throwing the ceremonial pitch at the world series.
(Robinson in 1972)
On October 24th 1972 Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. He was 53 years old.
(Robinson’s funeral)
Today is his 98th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday and rest in peace Jackie Robinson.
Videos of Jackie Robinson
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOgkGVsi944 “Baseball Spring Training 1948 Jackie Robinson (History's Playlist)-Sports”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XY-XshGhMU “Jackie Robinson Steals Home”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biLJvoQp0C4 “The Jackie Robinson Story trailer - Legend Films”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaJIqhgGoIM “World Series 1952”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4EUXTbbsAg “1955 World Series Dodgers/Yankees Highlights Jackie Steals Home”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b5acoQ1EVA “Jackie Robinson, one of the best to play the game, steals home during the 1955 World Series”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHrwLJqaCHs “Jackie Robinson addresses at the 1962 Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP - Archival Footage”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3lEep4F744 “Jackie Robinson World Series”
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP3G4E2ael8 “'42' Official Trailer [HD]: The Real Life Story Of Jackie Robinson, Baseball Legend”
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