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The life and times of Jackie Robinson
The history of baseball essay
The life and times of Jackie Robinson
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“Hey Jackie, you should play baseball.” Jackie Robinson had no intention to play baseball. Jackie Robinson had to deal with many racial comments and put downs, but Jackie never gave up and ended up as a Major League hero. Jackie played many sports in high school and he was good at all of them. He lettered in every sport he played in high school. After high school, he didn’t have any intention to play sports anymore. Jackie actually enlisted in the army. He served two years and he ranked second lieutenant. Jackie’s army career ended really short compared to many other veterans. Jackie had to go to court for his objections against racial discrimination. After that jumble was done, Jackie came home and played For the Kansas City Monarchs, which is in the Negro League. He traveled the whole Midwest playing baseball with them. Jackie led the team in every offensive category and he only played one season. After his season with the Monarchs, Branch Rickey approached him about coming up and playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major League had not had an African American since 1889, when baseball became segregated. Jackie accepted this offer. Jackie was the first to break the color barrier in the Major League. Jackie started his first game on April 15th, and that was only the start of Jackie’s legend of a career (Jackie Robinson , 2011).
Jackie’s first game was very rough for him. Jackie went 0 for 3 at the plate. Jackie was very nervous. Jackie progressed throughout the season and he became the rookie of the year with 12 home runs, 29 steals, and a .297 batting average. Jackie got voted as the National League’s most valuable player. After that Jackie won the batting title (Jackie Robinson , 2011). Jackie is a legend when it comes to...
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...’t let that bother his game. Jackie strived to do better when he heard those comments. Jackie knew that he could do it and he set his mind to do it. Over his career, Jackie accomplished the goals that he had created for himself. Jackie is a hero, was a hero, and will always be a hero. Jackie will be a legacy that will never be forgotten in the game of baseball itself.
Works Cited
Sirs. (2008, April 25). Retrieved May 14, 14, from Baseball Honors jackie Robinson,Who Integragated Game in 1947.
Jackie Robinson . (2011). Retrieved May 14, 2014, from Jackie Robinson The Official Website: http://www.jackierobinson.com/about/bio.html
Danneheisser, R. (2008 , May 2). Sirs. Retrieved May 14, 2014, from Baseball Honors Jackie Robinson,Who Integragated in 1947.
Dodd, M. (2007, April 12). Sirs. Retrieved May 14, 2014, from 60 years After Robinson, Is His Legacy Fading Away?
In “Jackie’s Debut: A Unique Day,” is written by Mike Royko, and appeared in the Chicago Daily News on Wednesday, October 15, 1972, the day after Jackie passed away. This article is about one of the most famous and cultural African Americans to ever play the game of baseball. In the beginning of the story, there were wise men sitting in the tavern that had something to say about Jackie. They weren’t the kindest words and said that he would ruin the game of baseball. Jackie was going to be at Wrigley Field and the kid had to see him perform. Him and his friend always walked to the baseball games to avoid streetcar fare. On that day, Wrigley Field was packed. He had never seen anything like it, there were about 47,000 people there and at the
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.
“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
Especially if you were a Dodgers fan, considering he did accomplish many things not even the best white baseball players were doing. As long as it took for integration to finally be settled was due to the beliefs of the people on race equality dating back to pre-Civil War, throughout Jackie’s career. The views have most definitely changed between races throughout the years, allowing very few differences between race, beliefs, preferences and more to be supported throughout the league. This is greatly appreciated in modern baseball today because baseball would not be what it is today if integration still existed, and/or if the league still had the color ban.
Jackie Robinson decided to fight to be the first African American to integrate the Major League Baseball (MLB). His autobiography states he “was forced to live with snubs rebuffs and rejections” ( Robinson). This quote shows that he was treated unfairly and disrespectfully. In Robinson’s autobiography it also states that Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier and created equal oppurtunity proving that a “sport can’t be called national if blacks are barred from it”
Jackie Robinson changed the way baseball is looked at by Americans. Also, he broke a huge barrier in American History. Robinson helped get rid of segregation. He also, is down as one on of the most respected men in baseball history. Not only a wonderful ball player, but also a wonderful man who went through so much and helped create a path for current and future African American baseball players.
Jackie Robinson’s ability to successfully integrate his sport set the stage for many others to advocate for an end to segregation in their respective environments. His period of trials and triumphs were significant to changing American perception of the Civil Rights revolution. By becoming the first African-American baseball player to play in the major leagues, he brought down an old misconception that black athletes were inferior to white athletes. Successively, his example would inspire those advocating for their civil rights, he lived out a message of nonviolence similar to the one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived out. Despite the constant prejudice he faced in his sport, he was able to keep himself composed and never retaliate.
In the film (A Jackie Robinson Story) Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time, tells Jackie that he does not want a player who is strong enough to fight back, but a player who is strong enough to not fight back. He wanted Jackie to focus solely on playing the game and not on what the fans had to say about him. Rickey also knew that Jackie would be strong enough to not fight back or get angry when the fans started yelling at him. I think that because Jackie was so strong in his character and stood up for himself and other people of color that he was very successful by the end of his career. Hank Greenberg, the first major Jewish superstar, was highly respected among his fellow Jews however he was not accepted by Americans during this time. Although he was almost always ridiculed every time he stepped up to bat, Greenberg continued to pursue his dreams of being a Major League baseball player. As a Jew, Greenberg participated in many Jewish holidays and religious practices. Some of these practices were required for Greenberg to attend given his religion but because all other baseball players were not Jewish, or practicing the same Jewish holidays that he was, they would not have the conflict of dealing with said holidays. Sometimes baseball games and Jewish holidays would
...u're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life." "I don't think that I or any other Negro, as an American citizen, should have to ask for anything that is rightfully his. We are demanding that we just be given the things that are rightfully ours and we're not looking for anything else." In 1972 Jackie Robinson died but his legacy would always live forever. The effects of Robinson can be seen in any place that you come across like the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and even the Wall Street Journal. Since Jackie Robinson integrated baseball in 1947 black society in America has truly broken infinite number of barriers. More important than the improvements in the black race, are the improvements in the entire nation that from his accomplishments was now one step closer to equality. (Quotes)
Jackie Robinson was the most influential ball player of all time. Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. Robinson had a tough childhood since his dad left his family when he was only 1 year old. This was very difficult for his family, so Jackie, his mom, and his 4 siblings moved to California. This move actually helped Jackie in the long run as he later attended UCLA. At UCLA, Jackie became the first 4-letter man. This meant that he was the first person in the school’s history to join four varsity sports teams. From there, Jackie went on to the army and then to the Negro Leagues. During his time in the Negro Leagues, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a black man to break the
Jackie (Robinson), we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owners, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans will be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I’m doing this because you are a great ballplayer, a fine gentleman. (Quoted in Giants of Baseball, Gutman, Rickey)
From a young age, Jackie knew that he would be very athletic. His skin color didn’t stop him from achieving his goals. Fans screaming at him and throwing things at him didn’t stop him. Even his teammates refusing to play with him didn’t stop him. Jackie Robinson is one of the best baseball players ever and Jackie Robinson is one cool dude.
According to Jessie Jackson, "A champion wins a World Series or an Olympic event and is hoisted on the shoulders of the fans. A hero carries the people on his shoulders" (Robinson 3). This is what made Jackie Robinson a hero to African-Americans. Robinson's achievement goes beyond the statistics and championships he earned on the field. He opened the door for his entire race to play professional sports and gain acceptance as more desegregation took place. After fighting in World War II from 1941 until 1944, Jackie played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues from 1944 until 1946. In 1946, he was selected as the best person to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
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.
Simon, Scott. 2002. Jackie Robinson and the integration of Baseball. Turning points. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.