nPostednon January 31, 2014
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nJackie Robinson is one of the most famous baseball players in history.
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nFornone thing, he was really good. In ten seasons, he played innsix World Series, and he contributed to the Dodgers’ 1955 WorldnChampionship. He was selected six years in a row to play on the AllnStars, and he got the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award and anNational League Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted intonbaseball’s Hall of Fame.
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nAnothernreason Robinson is so famous is because he broke the “colornbarrier.” Before Robinson signed on with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the National League had no black players; black baseball playersnwere consigned to the “Negro leagues.”
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AndnJackie Robinson lived in the town I grew up in, Pasadena, California,nfrom age one until he he went away to college at UCLA. He attendednthe same high school as my sister (but years and years before she did, ofncourse), and he attended the same junior college as my parents!
AndnJackie Robinson lived in the town I grew up in, Pasadena, California,nfrom age one until he he went away to college at UCLA. He attendednthe same high school as my sister (but years and years before she did, ofncourse), and he attended the same junior college as my parents!n
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nOfncourse Robinson faced racismnand discrimination. I always assumed he was one of those guys who letnall that stuff roll off his back – I thought that was maybe why henwas the one chosen to break the color barrier – but in fact, Robinsonnwas assertive in the face of racism. As a young man, he had a few run-ins with policenofficers; for example, Robinson once spoke up for a black friend whonwas being detained by police for no apparent reason. Robinson’snquestioning of the officers resulted in him being arrested andngetting a two-year suspended sentence. Later, while Robinson was innthe U.S. Army during World War II, he boarded a military-commissionednbus line that was supposed to be integrated. The bus driver, though,nasked Robinson to sit in the back. Robinson refused, and the busndriver had military police take him into custody. Robinson told theninvestigating duty officer that the questions he and his assistantnwere asking were racist, and eventually Robinson had to face courtnmartial hearings for “insubordination during questioning.” It’s angood thing that he was found innocent by a panel of nine officersn(who were all white, by the way), but the hearings alone were enoughnto derail his military career.
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nPronBall
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Indidn’t know that Robinson first tried pro ball in football. When World War II interrupted his footballncareer before it hardly began, he ended up going into baseball. Henplayed in the Negro leagues but wanted to play in the Major Leagues.nUnfortunately, the first tryout he attended, for the Boston Red Sox,nwas a farce; instead of having an actual chance at a spot on thenteam, the tryout was designed to humiliate Robinson and the other black players whontried out.
Indidn’t know that Robinson first tried pro ball in football. When World War II interrupted his footballncareer before it hardly began, he ended up going into baseball. Henplayed in the Negro leagues but wanted to play in the Major Leagues.nUnfortunately, the first tryout he attended, for the Boston Red Sox,nwas a farce; instead of having an actual chance at a spot on thenteam, the tryout was designed to humiliate Robinson and the other black players whontried out.n
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nBranchnRickey from the Brooklyn Dodgers chose Robinson (even though henwasn’t the best player in the Negro leagues) to join his club andnbreak the color barrier. But Rickey asked Robinson to face the racialnslurs and hate speech that would surely be hurled at him without “rising to the bait,” withoutnfighting back. Rickey asked Robinson to turn the other cheek.
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nOncenRobinson made that commitment, he became a part of the Dodgers’ farmnclub, the Royals, and soon, in 1947, he was called up to the BignLeagues. Of course, there were a lot of problems. Hotel owners andnParks and Public Property directors stood in the way of integratedngames. Some Dodger players hinted that they would rather sit out thannto play with a black man. Some players on opposing teams complainednabout having to play with him, or even threatened to go on strike. Some of the ballplayersnand managers called Robinson racial epithets. n
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AndnI’m sure you’ve heard or figured out that some baseball fans yelled all sorts ofnugly words at Robinson. He also received hateful hate mail like these anonymous, cowardly notes.
AndnI’m sure you’ve heard or figured out that some baseball fans yelled all sorts ofnugly words at Robinson. He also received hateful hate mail like these anonymous, cowardly notes.n
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nButnthere was also a lot of positive attention, too. Dodgers manager LeonDurocher said that he didn’t care if a player was yellow or black ornstriped like a zebra; if he said that player was in the game, he wasnin the game. Many white players and newspaper reporters thought thatnintegrating baseball was great. Robinson’s teammate Pee Wee Reesensaid, “You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one ofnthem.” And Reese showed physical support by putting his arm around Robinson when people were yelling racial slurs at him.
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I was surprised to read that a 1947 poll (taken the year that Jackie Robinson broke thencolor barrier) picked Robinson as #2 most popular man in the United States,nbehind only Bing Crosby.
I was surprised to read that a 1947 poll (taken the year that Jackie Robinson broke thencolor barrier) picked Robinson as #2 most popular man in the United States,nbehind only Bing Crosby.n
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nAnd of course since then his awards and recognition, his legacy and legend, havenonly grown!
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nAlsonon this date:
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Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
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Nauru’snIndependence Day
Nauru’snIndependence Day n
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nAnniversarynof first U.S. satellite in space
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nChessncomposer Sam Lloyd’s birthday
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nChinese New Year
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nand here
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nand heren
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nPlannahead!
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nand heren
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nPlannahead!
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nFebruaryn holidays
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nFebruaryn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in February
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