interesting facts about jackie robinson

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When MLB retired Robinson's number, there were 14 players wearing No. Between 1942 and 1945, Robinson served as Second Lieutenant in the US Army.

After his death, his widow founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, posed and ready to swing Photo by Bob Sandberg - Wikimedia, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers posed and was ready to swingPhoto by Bob Sandberg Wikimedia. 40. All the time on the radio I was hearing, Robinson thisRobinson thatRobinson, Robinson, Robinson. She had graduated the previous year with a bachelors degree from UCLA where they had met. During his 10 years Major League Baseball career, Jackie Robinson received many awards. Some of the first Jackie Robinson facts regarding professional baseball emerge at this time.

Because baseball is thenational pastime, it often reflects the attitudes of the United States. Robinson had to respond to a claim that African-Americans would be reluctant to fight for the USA against the USSR. In 1938, while Jackie Robinson was excelling as an athlete and displaying his character through community involvement, he began to come to terms with the racism that existed in the United States at the time. In 1950, Robinsons contract reached $35,000, making him the highest-paid player in Dodgers history at the time. In 1938, Jackie Robinson received the Most Valuable Player award for baseball in the regional junior college league. 36. The Montreal Royals were part of the International League, a part of the system that fed players into Major League Baseball.

His former unit, the 761stTank Battalion, was the first black tank unit to see combat in World War II, but Robinsons court proceedings prevented him from being deployed overseas. Robinson wrote a letter to the owner requesting a tryout. Some teams and some players refused to play with him. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, however, convinced Robinson that the sport was working on this matter, so Robinson agreed to take part in the ceremony. Robinson was transferred to another unit under a racist commander, and was soon charged with multiple counts, including trumped up charges that he had been drinking. In 1949, Robinson was voted as the starting second baseman for the National League in the MLB All-Star Game, the first All-Star game to include black players. As for the opponents, well, you'll notice a trend. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. Lamb, however, gave the number up at seasons end because he felt uncomfortable wearing those digits. The owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, received much initial criticism for signing Robinson in 1947. Robinsons jersey number of 42 was retired with him when he withdrew from the game. His accomplishments allowed black and white Americans to be more respectful and open to one another and appreciate everyones abilities. Mack Robinson finished second at the 1936 Olympics to Jesse Owens! In addition to Robinson, fellow African-Americans Roy Campanella, Don Newcombewho were Robinsons teammates on the Dodgersand Larry Doby (Cleveland Indians) also played in the game. In 2005, a statue of Robinson and Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese made by sculptor William Behrends was erected outside KeySpan Park (now MCU Park) in Brooklyn to commemorate the inspiring moment when Reese put his arm around Robinson on the field in response to fans shouting racial slurs. Mack knew that sports were the way for Jackie to continue his education. From his beginnings in the Dodgers, Robinson inspired the gradual desegregation of other sports in America. This is another one of the inspiring Jackie Robinson facts. Be the first to rate this post. After graduating from P.J.C in 1939 he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles. When enduring racial insults and discrimination, Robinson turned the other cheek, as Rickey had advised. As a minority, being the last one to use No. Read also: Top 15 King Tut Facts Reign Death Tomb More. The National and American Leagues did not adopt separate awards until 1949. After retiring from baseball, Robinson joined coffee company Chock full oNuts in 1957 as director of personnel. Robinson made a powerful statement about African-Americans and how their social protest was valid and did not make them subversive in any way. This was captured in the 1996 TV movie Soul of the Game, which starred Blair Underwood as Robinson, and in Pride Against Prejudice, the biography of Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League, in which Doby was quoted as saying: One of the things that was disappointing and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 13. Robinson refused. Its a testament to how great an athlete he was that he could play even the sport he wasleastgood at, at a professional level! His wife started Jackie Robinson Foundation in his honor. Doby and Robinson would support each other by talking on the phone throughout the season.

Robinson had to face threats and insults, yet still perform on the field at the highest level. Copyrights 2021 Interesting-Facts.com. These matches led to his being awarded the MVP award as the most valuable player within his team. He broke the color line when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers on 15th April 1947. Following this, he took a job as a basketball coach at the Sam Huston College in Texas. Martin Luther King, Jr.spoke about the importance of Jackie Robinson as a symbol.

He also marched with Martin Luther King in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised funds for the NAACPs Freedom Fund Drive.. jackie robinson obstacles On Jackie Robinson Day, which was first observed on April 15, 2004, all baseball players are required to wear the number 42 in honor of his memory and his legacy to sport. He was the first black person to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and was also the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball.

By 1948, the Dodgers had hired three more Black players, and more Major League baseball teams were becoming more integrated.

Robinson was being a good citizen off the field, and an amazing player on it! Jesse Owens gold medal wins at the 1936 Olympics were an important message to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. In 1949, he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award. My family didn't. She worked a number of jobs to support Jackie and his brothers and sisters. One of these was involved founding the Freedom National Bank in Harlem. This is one of the sad Jackie Robinson facts that continues to hold importance today. Other films about him include 42, which was made in 2013. In1962, Robinson became the first African-American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first time on the ballot with 77.5 percent of the vote. 27. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was the first Black baseball player to play in the American Major Leagues in the 20th Century. Robinson attended John Muir High School and, later, Pasadena Junior College.

Robinson was willing to go to jail for what he thought was right. Despite the somewhat loose structure of the league, there were incredibly talented players, many of whom were better than their White counterparts playing in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson faced segregation growing up in Pasadena, California, and was banned from participating in many activities. UCLAs Jackie Robinson Stadium, home to the Bruins baseball team, opened in 1981. Login/Register access is temporary disabled, Jackie Robinson Was Named After Theodore Roosevelt, Jackie Robinsons Brother Raced with Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics, Jackie Robinson Was Arrested Again in 1944, Jackie Robinson Was Good at BaseballBasketball, Football, and Track, Jackie Robinson Earned His First MVP Award in 1938, Jackie Robinson Won the Long Jump at the NCAA Championships in 1940, Jackie Robinson Was Friends with Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis, The Second Black Player in Baseball Started Only 6 Weeks after Robinson, Jackie Robinson Played in the Negro Baseball League before the Dodgers. This was the first time that a number was retired with the player in the history of Major League Baseball. Some notable figures helped pave the way towards Robinsons acceptance by his team and by the baseball community as a whole. Furthermore, his practice of not responding with violence to the many aggressive taunts and jibes from others was important for the later Civil Rights movement advocating non-violence. Jackies older brother, Matthew Mack Robinson, was a silver medalist in the 1936 Olympics for the 200-meter sprint. Due to the transfers and legal proceedings, Robinson never rejoined the 761st Battalion or participated in any combat missions during World War 2. 31. After batting .297, leading the National League with 29 stolen bases and helping the Brooklyn Dodgers to the pennant, Robinson won the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. Robinson became the first African-American player to reach the major leagues in modern history on April 15, 1947. In 1945, while he was coaching at Sam Huston College, the Monarchs offered Jackie Robinson a contract to play professional baseball. After the trial, Robinson was transferred again, and became a coach of army athletics until he received his honorable discharge in November, 1944.

12. He was the youngest of five children born to Jerry Robinson and Mallie (McGriff) Robinson. Robinsons role as a professional athlete made him an important national figure of the Civil Rights movement, like Martin Luther King, Jr. Jackie Robinson knew the importance of what he was doing and is a shining example of how one person can make a big difference. However racial abuse from some white players and fans didnt stop. Robinson became the first black player ever to play in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson, Mary Dee, Dolly Banks, and Martin Luther King Jr., 1962 Wikimedia Commons. Jackie came from an athletic family and had discovered his talents while still at Washington Junior High school. Read more. With the mounting interest surrounding Robinson's inevitable major league debut,more than one million people went to games involving the Royals in 1946. While working as a coach in army athletics, Robinson was told he should apply to be a player for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American League.

1. After his time at Pasadena Junior College, Jackie Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles.

Director Spike Lee, whotried to bring his version of Robinson's story to the big screenin a film that would have featured Denzel Washington, famouslywore Robinsons No. People saw Robinson as someone who was not afraid to speak out about racism when he witnessed it, and who was prepared to stand up for what he thought was right. He achieved hero status during his lifetime and is still celebrated as an amazing baseball player, and for being the first African-American to achieve great status in the sport. In 1950, he agreed to star in a film about Jackie Robinson where he played himself. Rickey was concerned by Robinsons history of being speaking out against injustice. In 1956, rather than be traded, Robinson retired from baseball and took a position atChock full oNutsas one of the first Black executives at a major United States corporation. Later, he became more outspoken in words and actions in his support of desegregation and he became a role model for others in the world of sport and beyond. 34. Robinson became the first African-American network television broadcaster for MLB when he was hired by ABC in 1965.

When Jackie took the field, he said, something reminded us of our birthright to be free. Tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets to Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

In December of 1956, with Branch Rickey no longer a part of the Dodgers organization, owner Walter OMalley traded Robinson to the New York Giants for pitcher Dick Littlefield and $30,000, but the deal was never officially completed because Robinson refused to report to his new team, instead choosing to retire. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

They tell us that he was well aware of the importance of his actions later in life when he became the first Black Major League baseball player in the 1900s. Read also: Top 20 King Arthur Facts Life Death Legend More Factsnet. Black fans began flocking stadiums to see the Dodgers whenever they played in nearby towns. His grandparents were slaves, and his parents were sharecroppers. It was difficult for Black people to gain access to education in the 1930s when Jackie Robinson attended and graduated from junior high school, and high school. His honorable discharge in November of 1944 coincided with the 761stbeing sent to Europe, where many members of the battalion suffered casualties. In 1956, audiences would have instantly recognized this as a reference to Jackie Robinson, who a decade earlier and at tremendous personal cost, had broken the color barrier. Robinson wasnt challenging any laws; he was challenging the culture of racism that existed in the United States in the 1940s. Robinsons journey was also made into a Broadway musical called The First, which starred David Alan Grier but lasted only 37 performances in 1981. 10. Robinsons most famous steal of home came against the Yankees and catcher Yogi Berra in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series, setting the tone for the only title the Dodgers would win in six appearances with Robinson. At the time, the Armed Forces of the United States were not segregated by law.

It was on that date back in 1947 that Robinson stepped on the field wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform, thus breaking the sport's color barrier bybecoming the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Later in 1947, Larry Doby, became the second Black player in the Major League, and the first in the American League. Throughout this time, Robinson received racist comments and insults from White officers who wanted to keep the culture of racism. 42 Dodgers jerseyin his 1989 movieDo the Right Thing.

Robinson persevered, and excelled at sports. 42. While on the losing end of Bobby Thomsons famous Shot Heard Round the World in the final game of a three-game playoff series to determine the 1951 NL pennant winner, the uber-competitive Robinsonwhose 14th-inning home run in the final game of the regular season had salvaged the Dodgers' postseason hopes by forcing a tie with the Giantsclosely watched Thomson round the bases to ensure he touched each one on his celebratory trot. Photo of Jackie Robinson in his military uniform, during a visit to his Pasadena family home Wikimedia Commons. 42 on their jersey, fans will get a chance to relive Robinson's heroic journey and historic career Friday, as the film 42hits theaters across America. 29. Robinson Cano wears No. However, there was institutional racism in place that made admission difficult for Black people. I thought to myself, When I have a son, that's the name I'm going to give him. They met the criteria, and there were no laws against Blacks being admitted to OCS. A year after Robinson died, his wife Rachelstarted the Jackie Robinson Foundationin 1973. In 1944, Jackie Robinson was getting on an Army bus when he was told to get to the back of the bus. Here, he became the schools first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. 17. During this time, more Jackie Robinson facts were established. Jack served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944. The film presents Robinsons life and achievements and focuses on his struggle to play baseball in the midst of a great deal of racial aggression. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Being a celebrity also brought more threats, and Jackie Robinson kept his cool amidst it all. In his first at-bat, the 28-year-old Robinson grounded out against Johnny Sain of the Boston Braves.

Similarly, current New York Yankees star Robinson Cano is named after Jackie Robinson because his father, Jose, himself a former major leaguerhe pitched 23 innings with the Houston Astros in 1989used to hear the name Jackie Robinson on the radio while listening to games growing up in his native Dominican Republic. One of the amazing Jackie Robinson facts is that he was friends with the heavyweight-boxing champion Joe Louis. 4. All Major League Baseball players wear number 42- which was retired in 1972- on their Jerseys in his honor. In the same year, he won the Rookie of the Year Award. Robinson was arrested by military police. However, because of his reputation, and the intervention of friends, newspapers and the NAACP, he was ultimately acquitted. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States, and a Democrat who signed the New Coalition Deal, which sought to include labor unions and white business owners with minorities including African-Americans. Robinson continued to be a quarterback in football, shortstop in baseball, and also participated in basketball and track. Jackie Robinson facts tell us the story behind this remarkable man. While continuing his studies, Robinson became the first athlete at UCLA to get a varsity letter in four sports. Despite the racial tensions that were around at the time, the film was released to widespread critical praise and box office success. Jackie Robinson suffered from heart disease and diabetes which made him weak and almost blind by middle age.

Robinson initially declined because he was disappointed with the lack of black managers in the game. Whether Robinson actually was safe or out has been the center of debate for decades, with Berra insisting he tagged Robinson outdespite umpire Bill Summers calling him safe. He played shortstop and catcher on the baseball team. He was the first black player ever to receive this award. He continued to participate in baseball, football, track and basketball. By the time the Dodgers won the World Series, in 1955, Robinsons baseball career was going into decline. The Germans were practicing segregation, and the series of events that would lead to World War 2 and the Holocaust had already begun. A year later, in 1982, the United States Post Office issued the Jackie Robinson Black Heritage stamp to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his debut, making him the first Major League Baseball player ever depicted on a U.S. stamp. Robinson got his middle name from President Theodore Roosevelt, who died shortly before Robinson was born. The next set of Jackie Robinson facts would change not just his life, but also the course of history.

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42.". Although Robinson wasn't considered the best player in the league by his own peersmany felt fellow baseball legends Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were betterBranch Rickey ultimately chose Robinson because of his demeanor and courage. On the road, he had to stay in separate hotels from the rest of the team. 99 was retired across the NHL in 2000, remains the only other. He challenged the dark skies of intolerance and frustrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Leader, Baseball Hall of Fame exhibit honoring players Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. Wikimedia Commons. Robinson had made it very far, and yet still faced an uphill struggle. His mother worked a series of odd jobs to support her children and moved the family to California in search of a better life. When Robinson eventually stood trial at his court-martial a month later, the charges were reduced. In 1947, Rickey moved Robinson up to the Brooklyn Dodgers and he played his first season of Major League baseball. This is another of the inspiring Jackie Robinson facts for kids. 24the reverse of Robinsons retired 42as a tribute. It came as such a relief to him, that a teammate and the captain of the team would go out of his way in such a public fashion to express friendship. Thankfully, his sentence was suspended and Robinson did not serve any significant prison time. Its also inspiring that Paul L. Bates, who was Robinsons first colonel, and was White, refused to charge Robinson and be a part of the widespread racist culture. After his retirement, he became the first black vice president of Chock full oNuts, a major American corporation. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. 28. He put his arm around him and said, You can hate a man for many reasons. After being arrested, Robinson spoke to the arresting officer about unequal treatment and racism, much as he had done back in 1938. robinson jackie facts letters quotes fbi didn know kindle edition Despite the threats and the possibility of going to jail, Robinson stood up for what he thought was right. Rachel Robinson told the New York Times' Ira Berkow the following regarding Reese's action: I remember Jackie talking about Pee Wee's gesture the day it happened. It only lasted until 1966, when he was hired as general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (of the Continental Football League). Jackie Robinson graduated from OCS as a second lieutenant in 1943. 5. 15.

In the Dominican Republic when I was kid, not many people had a TV. 33. 16.

Matthew was also an impressive athlete who won the silver medal in the 200 meter dash at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, coming second only behind the renowned Jesse Owens. He has become a symbol for the movement towards desegregation in the United States and was revered by many, including Martin Luther King. 35. Robinson himself has said that he did not see the value of a college degree for a Black man at the time. Rivera told MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom in 2012what it means to wear Robinson's old number: "I'm honored to wear it, to use it. The movie, from Legendary Pictures andWarner Bros., starsChadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager responsible for finding and convincing Robinson to stand up to the segregation of the times and integrate baseball and, to a larger extent, America. In the biography Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry, author Bruce Pegg speculated that the brown eyed handsome man mentioned in the final verse of the song was likelyintended to beRobinson: And the last versetakes on added meaning given the year and the race of the protagonist. After High School, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College where he continued his athletic career. 41. 99 was retired across the NHL in 2000, what it means to wear Robinson's old number.

During his time at UCLA, Robinson met the woman he would marry, Rachel Isum. However, there was cultural segregation that continued to exist. In his early years at Pasadena Junior School, Robinson excelled at many sports including running, basketball and football, as well as baseball. Perhaps motivated by economics, or by his desire for equal treatment, or simply because he wanted to be in a more rigorous professional setting, Robinson began to tryout for Major League Baseball. One of the interesting facts about Jackie Robinson is that Mack, Jackies brother, had attended the University of Oregon. There was no legal requirement for him to do so. In 1949, Robinson was subpoenaed to testify before The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) because of comments that were made about him. Read also: 70 Surprising Michael Jordan Facts That You Might Not Know About. Although Robinson played primarily second base in his 10-year career, he actually played first base in his first MLB game and exclusively throughout his rookie year because veteran Eddie Stanky was entrenched at second base. Following college, Robinson played semi-professional football for the Honolulu Bears in Hawaii, which he left onlytwo days before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Many reasons have been suggested to explain why Robinson left UCLA before graduation. Jackie was born on 31st January 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. Major League baseball had to enforce rules stating that players would be suspended if they refused to play with Black players. Jackie Robinson as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in his uniform Photo ByUnited States Information Agency Wikimedia Commons. Jackie Robinson facts teach us that he was an important figure in the early part of the Civil Rights movement. 25. That was not all, he was a member of the tennis team and also part of the track and field squad. He continued to excel at sports, winning the 1940 NCAA Mens Track and Field Championships in the long jump. It was directed by Alfred Green. 7. He never got to be deployed overseas to World War II for combat action, at the time he had been court-martialed for insubordination when he refused to move to the back of the bus. The bank closed in 1990. Jackie Robinson, like Rosa Parks, refused to move to the back of the bus. bowienewsonline strive fairness Robinsons grave at the familys gravesite in Cypress Hills Cemetery photo By Anthony22 Wikimedia. Jose Cano told the story of his son's name to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney: I never saw Jackie Robinson play. The hearing was about Communist infiltration of minority groups. After Jackie Robinson's father, Jerry, abandoned the family very early in Jackie's life, his mother Mallie moved Jackie and his four older siblings to Pasadena, California. Rickey said that whoever became the first Black baseball player would need to have the courage to take a non-violent approach. It was there that he excelled at football, basketball, track, and baseball. Jackie Robinsons athletic talents had no limits! 26. He died of a heart attack in 1972 at the age of 53 at his home in North Stamford, Connecticut. During his first season, Robinson batted .387 with five home runs and 13 stolen bases. In his career, Robinson was a part of six pennant-winning Dodgers teams. Freedom National Bank was founded in 1964. While serving in the Army from 1942-44, Robinson became asecond lieutenant. He was involved in a mixed race gang, where they would challenge white kids to play sports and bet that they would win. Robinson and Louis bonded through their experiences in the military, including the racist practices they both endured. In 1972, he worked in the booth part-time on Montreal Expos games. No votes so far! The pressures persisted, and Jackie Robinson continued to excel, despite racial insults and threats from players, owners and fans. His resolve in the face of pressure is an inspiration to all people. The best was Josh Gibson. Sports scholarships provide an opportunity some students wouldnt otherwise have. This came a decade prior to the well-known incident in which Rosa Parks, an African-American female, refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. These Jackie Robinson facts tell us that Robinsons athletic talent was truly world-class. Jesse Owens was aware of this and became a symbol to the world that people of all races are equal. His role as a professional athlete was an important symbol of changing attitudes about race in the United States.

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