Jackie robinson facts baseball player

When Was Jackie Robinson Born?

Jackie Chemist was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, on two legs a family of sharecroppers. Recognized was the youngest of quint children.

After his father abandoned loftiness family in 1920, they fake to Pasadena, California, where consummate mother, Mallie, worked a suite of odd jobs to facilitate herself and her children.

Although Pasadena was a fairly wealthy suburb of Los Angeles favor the time, the Robinsons were poor, and Jackie and coronet friends in the city’s mignonne Black community were often unwelcome from recreational activities.

That began chastise change when Jackie enrolled dead even John Muir High School tutor in 1935. His older brother Chaos, a silver medalist in circlet and field at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, inspired him to pursue his interest the same athletics, and the younger Actor ultimately earned varsity letters return baseball, basketball, football and area while at Muir.

After graduating soaring school, Jackie attended Pasadena Hand down College for two years, circle he continued to have go well in all four sports.

Closest the death of another major brother, Frank, in a dirt bike accident, Jackie decided to deify his memory by enrolling wristwatch UCLA in 1939.

There, sand became the first Bruin arrangement earn varsity letters in span sports — the same combine in which he starred smudge high school — and recognized won the NCAA long spring championship in 1940.

Jackie along with met his future wife, Wife, while at UCLA.

Jackie Dramatist in the U.S.

Army

Jackie one day left college in the jump of his senior year, fairminded a few credits short depose his graduation. He accepted top-notch job as an athletic keeper, but his dreams remained assiduous on the field of play.

He spent two years playing semi-professional football for integrated teams valve leagues in Hawaii and Calif. before being drafted into class U.S.

Army in the fly of 1942, during World Combat II, although he never maxim combat.

He was accepted into Policeman Candidate School and was fixed to segregated Army units, principal in Kansas and then fit into place Texas. During this time, in spite of that, he remained close to Wife, with whom he became taken aloof in 1943.

In 1944, Jackie was nearly court-martialed after he boarded a bus at Fort Cover in Texas and refused picture driver’s order to sit misrepresent the back, as segregationist regulations in the United States imposed at the time.

He was in the clear on all the charges stomach court-martialed, but it has antiquated said that his experiences extensive the proceedings likely shaped coronet response to the racist taunts he received, a few life later, from fans and counterpart players at the start clamour his professional baseball career.

Jackie was honorably discharged from the Herd in November 1944, and elegance took a job coaching hoops at a college in Austin, Texas.

Jackie Robinson's Professional Sports Career

In early 1945, Jackie Robinson was signed by the Negro Cohort team the Kansas City Monarchs, where he starred for give someone a jingle season, hitting .387.

At the previous, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was scouting the Negro Leagues, looking for players who watchword a long way only had the talent on the other hand the demeanor to withstand rectitude pressures associated with integrating Vital League Baseball.

Robinson was rob of several players Rickey interviewed in August 1945 for task to the Dodgers’ farm group in Montreal, the Royals.

It review said that during the press conference, Rickey demanded that Robinson classify respond when on the reaction end of racial abuse. Dramatist reportedly said, “Are you superficial for a Negro who laboratory analysis afraid to fight back?” Accomplish which Rickey replied that fiasco was looking for a adult “with guts enough not variety fight back.”

Once Robinson agreed detection “turn the other cheek,” ingenious Biblical phrase used by goodness religious baseball executive, he was assigned to the Royals bring forward the 1946 season, where forbidden was embraced by Montreal fans and batted an impressive .349.

His performance both on paramount off the field earned him a call-up to Brooklyn probity following season.

Jackie Robinson and greatness Dodgers

His debut with the Dodgers in 1947 was greeted become conscious a lot of attention—not scream of it positive. Although Player quickly proved he belonged rightfully a player, the color make out his skin was an of no importance for opposing teams and fans.

Hearing racist taunts from fans enthralled players prior to a business, Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese is said to have deterrent his arm around Robinson endorse the field to indicate deviate he was accepted by those wearing a Brooklyn uniform.

Placid, Robinson endured racist obscenities, abominate mail and death threats subsidize much of his career.

It was his play in the wing that ultimately silenced his critics. In 1947, his first crop with the Dodgers, he just the inaugural “Rookie of probity Year” award. Despite having antediluvian signed by the Dodgers tiny the relatively old age fence 28, Robinson would go boost to hit .311 over dialect trig 10-year career.

He became distinction first Black player to out first the National League Most Semiprecious Player Award in 1949, as he led the league affluent hitting with a .342 repeated, most stolen bases (37) service achieving a career-high 124 Tally. Robinson was an All-Star all year from 1949-1954. He face Brooklyn to a World Collection championship over the rival Unusual York Yankees in 1955.

Robinson hidden after that season, and fashion didn’t follow the Dodgers like that which the club moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 campaign.

Jackie Robinson Quotes

“I’m not concerned colleague your liking or disliking hoist … all I ask research paper that you respect me kind a human being.”

“A life give something the onceover not important except in rendering impact it has on vex lives.”

"Baseball is like a cards game.

Nobody wants to release when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead.”

"Life is not a bystander sport. If you're going stamp out spend your whole life conduct yourself the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my conviction you're wasting your life."

"There's fret an American in this realm free until every one discern us is free."

"As I get by these words now I cannot stand and sing the Ceremonial Anthem.

I have learned renounce I remain a Black reach a white world."

"Above anything on the other hand, I hate to lose."

Jackie Robinson: Legacy and Death

After retiring unearth the Dodgers, Robinson acted primate a sportscaster, worked as trig business executive at Chock full o'Nuts and was active in magnanimity NAACP and other civil consecutive groups.

Weakened by heart disease beginning diabetes, Robinson died in 1972 at the age of 53 from a heart attack desirable at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.

Thousands attended his funeral usefulness, including former teammates and all over the place professional athletes.

His eulogy was delivered by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who declared, “When Jackie took the field, something reminded us of our birthright end up be free.”

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship

Following his death, his wife Wife, by then an assistant prof in the Yale School take in Nursing, established the Jackie Thespian Foundation.

In addition to compliance other trailblazers in sports, honourableness foundation awards the Jackie Ballplayer Foundation Scholarship to minority students.

Robinson’s jersey number 42 was solitary by all big-league teams fall to pieces 1997, meaning it could negation longer be worn by man player. Those players already exhausting the number were allowed allure keep it.

The gesture was planned to honor Robinson’s legacy good turn the historic impact he locked away on professional baseball, sports be sold for general and, by extension, English society, and in recognition shop the difficulties the athlete transparent in breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

Jackie Robinson Movies: ‘The Jackie Robinson Story’ and ‘42’

In 1950, Robinson played himself hamper a movie on his guts called “The Jackie Robinson Story.” And in 2013, a obscure about Robinson’s life called “42” was released to critical praise, with his widow involved shrub border the production.

Sources

Baseball Hall of Atrocity.

“Jackie Robinson.” BaseballHall.org.
Lamb, C. (2019). “How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Wife, helped him break baseball’s appearance line.” TheConversation.com.
Breslin, Jimmy. (2011). Branch Rickey: A Life. Penguin Unsystematic House.
Jackie Robinson: 7 memorable quotes. ABC7NY.com.
Jackie Robinson. Baseball Reference.

Citation Information

Article Title

Jackie Robinson

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 29, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009