Jack Roosevelt Robinson: A Man to Remember
Noella Duncan, and Gabriela Aguilar, Reporter's
April 30, 2012
Filed under Sports
Jack (Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919 to a family of share croppers. He was the first baseball player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier that segregated the sport for more than 50 years. He went to the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) and became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track, but he had to leave college due to financial difficulties. He then joined the army for two years and made second lieutenant. He was forced to leave the army with an honorable discharge due to his objection’s with incidents of racial discrimination. Then in 1945, Jackie played one season in the Negro Baseball League, traveling all over the Mid west with the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1947, Brooklyn Dodger’s president Branch Rickey asked Jackie to join the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American player since 1889, when baseball became segregated in both the North and the South after he broke the color barrier in baseball. After his Rookie year ended he was voted the National League Rookie of the Year with 12 home-runs, a league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. Then in 1949, he was selected as the NL’s Most Valuable Player of the year and also won the batting title with a .342 average the same year, because of his success he made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
On April 15, 1947, history was made at Ebbett’s Field. Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play in Major League Baseball. He was hired by Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch chose Robinson specifically, because he needed a player that would be able to stand against disdain, hatred and anger from the crowds, and even from some of his own team mates.It was on April 15Th that he made his debut game, playing first-base for the Dodgers against the Boston Braves. The games had started at 2: 20 pm, and had a total of 26,623 people in attendance. The end result was 5-3, in favor of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was the first game of the season, and they stood at 1 win, 0 loses.
Quotes:
-Sophomore Jordan Perez believes that Branch Rickey made the right choice in picking Jackie Robinson as the first black player in Major League Baseball.
Question: What do you think would have happened if Jackie Robinson had been unable to stand up against all the ridicual he faced as the first black player?
Answer: “I think it would have taken several more years before black players would be accepted into Major League Baseball” -Mr. Smith (long-term substitute.)
-Sophomore Erik Verduzco claims that Jackie Robinson would make a good role model for today’s athletes.
Who is the last remaining player in Major League Baseball to wear the number 42? (Hint: He plays for the Yankees)
- Freddy Garcia (100%, 1 Votes)
- Rafael Sariano (0%, 0 Votes)
- Mariano Rivera (0%, 0 Votes)
- Hiroki Kuroda (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 1
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