From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) became the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947. The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962 and he was a member of six World Series teams. Jackie earned six consecutive All-Star Game nominations and won several awards during his career. In 1947, Robinson won The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award Award.
Two years later, Jackie was awarded his first National League MVP Award. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jackie Robinson was also a forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement. He was a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity, in the 1960s. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for a number of years, in which he was an outspoken supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and, to a lesser degree, Malcolm X.
Robinson actively campaigned for a number of politicians, including both Democrat Hubert Humphrey, and Republican Richard Nixon.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Robinson posthumously received a Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On April 15, 1997, the 50 year anniversary of his debut in the MLB, Major League Baseball retired the number 42, the number Robinson wore, in recognition of his accomplishments both on the field and off the field. In 1950, he was the subject of a film biography, The Jackie Robinson Story, in which he played himself. He became a political activist in his post-playing days.
How much do you know about Jackie Robinson and what does he mean to you?
As an African American, he’s my hero.
Best base-stealer evar.
What to do with chess?
Anon at 8:45 AM, Rickey Henderson
and Lou Brock were much more
prolific base stealers than any-
one in baseball history.
I am too young to have seen Jackie
Robinson play, but I heard he played an aggressive, fearless
style of baseball. All African-
American players owe him a debt of
thanks for being the first to
endure the taunts, racial slurs, and injustices associated with
breaking baseball’s color line. He was a very good player too.
In today’s baseball world, the
hot-button issue has become the dramatic decrease of African-American professional baseball players due to the appeal of the
NFL and NBA and a lack of grass-
roots effort to reach inner-city
athletes.
Eric Morris
Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. Wataru Misaka broke the color barrier in basketball. Walter Achiu broke the color barrier in football.