An Ode to Jackie Robinson on His Special Day
Every year on April 15th, Major League Baseball comes together to honor the man who broke the color barrier and opened the door for many young minority players. Though stadiums lay dark and barren this year, the legacy of Jackie Robinson lives on in our hearts and minds. Not only did his efforts on the field make a differencr but the things he did off the field to give back to people in need helped shape America. From his military service to fighting for the rights of African Americans everywhere Robinson not onlt displayed everything you want in a player, but everything you want as a person.
He was born Jack Roosevelt Robinson on January 13th, 1919 in Cairo, GA. Life wasn't easy for Robinson growing up in a single-parent household where he faced poverty every single day. It was his older brother Matthew who got Robinson started in the sporting world and he showed great athelticism from an early age. He was a four sport athlete in high school playing football, baseball, basketball, and track. He was named most valuable player on his high school baseball team in 1933 and won a silver medal in the 200-Meter Dash, finishing just behind Jesse Owens.
Robinson continued on to UCLA, where he continued to play four sports, but financial hardships forced him to have to leave early. Then started WWII, and Robinson would answer the call enlisting in the army after leaving UCLA. He served from 1942 - 1944 as a Second Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in 1944 and returned to his home country where he would start his professional baseball career in the Negro Leagues.
This is when Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, caught eye of Robinson and the talent he could bring to his ball club. He signed in 1946, and joined the Montreal Royals, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he began playing in an all-white league. Robinson had to show great restraint against the racial slurs he was going to have to face, promising Rickey that he would not get into any fights. It wouldn't be easy for Robinson, and he would endure the torture from fans, players, and coaches alike. In that first year, Robinson led the International League with a .349 average and a .985 fielding percentage.
Because of his performance he got the call to the Dodgers and started the 1947 season as the team's first baseman. He took the field for his Major League debut on April 15th, 1947 officially breaking the Major League Baseball color barrier. The harassment continied into the Major Leagues and one of his biggest incidents came against the Phillies when manager Ben Chapman came on the field screaming racial slurs. Many players vowed to sit out instead of play with Robinson, but that all changed when Dodgers manager Leo Durocher said he would trade any other player before Robinson.
It was this confidence from his manager that would kick start Robinson's career and led him to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1947. Robinson went on to play nine years in the Majors batting .311 with 137 career home runs and an on-base percentage of .409. He won several National League Penants with the Dodgers and won one World Series in 1955. He still holds the Major League record for the most steals of home with 19 in his career while allowing several players across the world the chance to play in the Major Leagues.
He would retire from Major League Baseball on January 5th, 1957 and jumped into work after retirement. He became an executive for Chock Full O' Nuts Coffee and helped establish the African-American owned Freedom Bank. He continued his fight for racial equality off the field serving on the board of the NAACP until 1967, and continued lobbying for integration in every professional sport. He called out the New York Yankees for being a racist organization and not breaking the color barrier five years after he debuted.
In 1962, Robinson broke another barrier becoming the first African-American inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. The Dodgers retired his number 42 jersey in 1972 immortalizing him in Dodgers history. Later that year, he would pass away from heart problems at age 53 leaving behind his wife and three children. Even in death, Robinson's legacy lives on and, in 1997, Robinson's number 42 was retired league wide and April 15th was declared Jackie Robinson day. Mariano Rivera got special permission to wear the number until he retired in 2013, and he was the last player to wear the number.
Robinson's wife, Rachel Robinson, began the Jackie Robinson Foundation in her husband's honor to help children in need. The foundation provides scholarships and mentoring programs to boys and girls in need setting them up for success in the future. Robinson served as an inspiration to many players in the league today and without him, some of today's biggest stars might not be here. Guys like Ozzie Smith, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Andrew McCutchen, and even Ozzie Albies might not have had the opportunities they do without the sacrifices of Jackie Robinson.
So on this unique Jackie Robinson day, we say thank you to the man who opened doors for so many others. He exemplified what it means to have courage, fight for what you believe in, and chase your dreams. He came from nothing and, by virtue of hard work and determination, made a life for him and his family while not worrying about the backlash he would receive. So thank you Jackie Robinson for not only playing the game we love but teaching us life lessons that everyone can learn from.
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