Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025
Across Major League Baseball, Tuesday is Jackie Roosevelt Robinson Day, where they celebrate his contributions to the national pastime. Without his incredible courage, most superstars in Major League Baseball wouldn’t have had an opportunity to play. Robinson also played a significant role in shaping the United States.
From humble beginnings in Pasadena, California, where he faced racial prejudice, Robinson went on to become a sports star at Pasadena City College and later at UCLA. His older brother, Mack, was an Olympic medalist in the 1936 Summer Olympics, but he was forced to be a maintenance man for the City of Pasadena after winning a Silver Medal.
Robinson was raised by a courageous single mother, Mallie, who worked as a domestic. She taught her children to strive to do better though they were black. They were supposed to be proud of their race. The Robinson family lived in poverty, sometimes, the children lived on sugar water or butter sandwiches.
Jackie Robinson didn’t finish UCLA, citing economic problems, but he was a C student and needed to take more classes without participating in athletics. He lost interest in school. After Pearl Harbor, he joined the United States Army but never served in combat during World War II. While based at Fort Hood in Texas, he was court-martialed and acquitted for his refusal to move to the rear of an Army bus. He requested and received an honorable discharge.
Since he needed a paying job, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues and played shortstop. Though Robinson wasn’t the best player in the Negro Leagues, he got attention from major league scouts. Robinson had experience working with and relating to whites, so major league scouts liked that.
For a long time, Wesley “Branch” Rickey wanted to integrate the major leagues, but he knew he needed the right time and person. While Robinson was known as a hot head, he had the maturity that Rickey wanted. In October 1945, Robinson met with Rickey and agreed to play for the Montreal Royals. Going against his nature, Robinson agreed not to fight back against any racism.
After having an excellent 1946 season with the Montreal Royals, the Triple-A affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson had 1947 spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson endured racism from most people, including his teammates. The management of the Dodgers nipped a petition in the bud.
Robinson had a fantastic season in 1947 with a .297 batting average, .383 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, and 12 RBI. Robinson won the first Rookie of the Year, and now, the award is named after Robinson.
In 1949, Robinson won the MVP. He played a crucial role in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first and only world championship. After the 1956 season, when the Dodgers traded him to the New York Giants, Robinson retired and pursued a business career. He also helped Martin Luther King, Jr. spread the message that the United States needed to integrate all races into its society. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Since Robinson had diabetes, he died at 53, and he didn’t see a black man managing a major league team, which was his baseball dream. Robinson opened the doors for everyone in the United States. He broke the major league color barrier before the public schools were integrated. I owe Jack Roosevelt Robinson a lot because his example helped people give me opportunities in education and Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
