[185], Despite Robinson's regular-season heroics, on October 3, 1951, the Dodgers lost the pennant on Bobby Thomson's famous home run, known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World. [175] The project had been previously delayed when the film's producers refused to accede to demands of two Hollywood studios that the movie include scenes of Robinson being tutored in baseball by a white man. [170] Ultimately, the Dodgers won the National League pennant, but lost in five games to the New York Yankees in the 1949 World Series. In a letter read during the ceremony, Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, wrote: "I remember Montreal and that house very well and have always had warm feeling for that great city. [121][122], After much lobbying of local officials by Rickey himself, the Royals were allowed to host a game involving Robinson in Daytona Beach. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, into a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. Born. Robinson's mother worked various odd jobs to support the family. He finished the year with 99 runs scored, a .328 batting average, and 12 stolen bases. Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier on July 5, 1947 with the Cleveland Indians. [119][120] In DeLand, a scheduled day game was postponed, ostensibly because of issues with the stadium's electrical lighting. [281] Also in 1999, he ranked number 44 on the Sporting News list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players[282] and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team as the top vote-getter among second basemen. [314], Robinson has also been recognized outside of baseball. [187] He finished the year with 104 runs, a .308 batting average, and 24 stolen bases. [206] Robinson exhibited the combination of hitting ability and speed which exemplified the new era. Historical statistical analysis indicates Robinson was an outstanding fielder throughout his ten years in the major leagues and at virtually every position he played. The rotunda was dedicated at the opening of Citi Field on April 16, 2009. In 1968, he suffered a heart attack. [162][163] The following autumn, Robinson won his only championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series. "[139], Robinson was also derided by opposing teams. [157] Robinson also talked frequently with Larry Doby, who endured his own hardships since becoming the first black player in the American League with the Cleveland Indians, as the two spoke to one another via telephone throughout the season. [23][24], At Muir Tech, Robinson played numerous sports at the varsity level and lettered in four of them: football, basketball, track, and baseball. Ellis. [229], Robinson once told future Hall of Fame inductee Hank Aaron that "the game of baseball is great, but the greatest thing is what you do after your career is over. That season, the Dodgers' Don Newcombe became the first black major league pitcher to win twenty games in a year. [106] Larry Doby, who broke the color line in the American League the same year as Robinson, said, "One of the things that was disappointing and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player. During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949the first black player so honored. [37] Toward the end of his PJC tenure, Frank Robinson (to whom Robinson felt closest among his three brothers) was killed in a motorcycle accident. Jackie Robinson, byname of Jack Roosevelt Robinson, (born January 31, 1919, Cairo, Georgia, U.S.died October 24, 1972, Stamford, Connecticut), the first Black baseball player to play in the American major leagues during the 20th century. [161] In February 1948, he signed a $12,500 contract (equal to $140,980 today) with the Dodgers; while a significant amount, this was less than Robinson made in the off-season from a vaudeville tour, where he answered pre-set baseball questions and a speaking tour of the South. [23][243] Robinson always considered his business career as advancing the cause of black people in commerce and industry. The school also announced it would prominently display the number at all of its athletic venues. "[144][145][146][147] Woodward's article received the E. P. Dutton Award in 1947 for Best Sports Reporting. He came from a family of sharecroppers who lived in Cairo, Georgia. All will be suspended and I don't care if it wrecks the National League for five years. Jack Roosevelt Robinson. Jackie Robinson was the youngest of five children, born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. [213][214] Toward the end of his career, he played about 2,000 innings at third base and about 1,175 innings in the outfield, excelling at both. [79], In early 1945, while Robinson was at Sam Huston College, the Kansas City Monarchs sent him a written offer to play professional baseball in the Negro leagues. [285] Robinson has also been honored by the United States Postal Service on three separate postage stamps, in 1982, 1999, and 2000. "[107], Rickey's offer allowed Robinson to leave behind the Monarchs and their grueling bus rides, and he went home to Pasadena. Before Jack and I moved to Montreal, we had just been through some very rough treatment in the racially biased South during spring training in Florida. Robinson's continued success spawned a string of death threats. [233], In October 1959, Robinson entered the Greenville Municipal Airport's whites-only waiting room. [270][272] Tens of thousands of people lined the subsequent procession route to Robinson's interment site at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, where he was buried next to his son Jackie and mother-in-law Zellee Isum. [197], In 1956, Robinson had 61 runs scored, a .275 batting average, and 12 steals. Manager Leo Durocher informed the team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. [26] In late January 1937, the Pasadena Star-News newspaper reported that Robinson "for two years has been the outstanding athlete at Muir, starring in football, basketball, track, baseball and tennis. [262] She and Jackie had three children: Jackie Robinson Jr. (19461971), Sharon Robinson (b. [149][150] Rickey later recalled that Chapman "did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers. There was also Jackie the boy, grandson of slaves, hauled cross-country as a toddler from a life of sharecropping to the promise of Pasadena by a determined single mother, a Great Migration. [167] Sisler taught Robinson to anticipate a fastball, on the theory that it is easier to subsequently adjust to a slower curveball. Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence, and his talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation that had then marked many other aspects of American life. 470 Jackie Robinson Family Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 470 Jackie Robinson Family Premium High Res Photos Browse 470 jackie robinson family stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Mack Robinson died at age 88 on March 12, 2000. From gang member to world-famous baseball player, Jackie Robinson helped break down barriers for African American athletes, proving that they can not only compete, but excel, in a variety of sports. [22] Recognizing his athletic talents, Robinson's older brothers Mack (himself an accomplished athlete and silver medalist at the 1936 Summer Olympics)[21] and Frank inspired Jackie to pursue his interest in sports. [85] He also appeared in the 1945 EastWest All-Star Game, going hitless in five at-bats. [176] The New York Times wrote that Robinson, "doing that rare thing of playing himself in the picture's leading role, displays a calm assurance and composure that might be envied by many a Hollywood star. Because of his off-season activities, Robinson reported to training camp 30 pounds (14kg) overweight. [310][311] At Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, a statue of Robinson was introduced in 2017. [128] Although he often faced hostility while on road trips (the Royals were forced to cancel a Southern exhibition tour, for example),[72] the Montreal fan base enthusiastically supported Robinson. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. [66][67][68] Robinson refused. [200], Robinson's major league debut brought an end to approximately sixty years of segregation in professional baseball, known as the baseball color line. retired number Baseball Hall of Fame (1962) Most Valuable Player (1949) six-time All-Star Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1962) Rookie of the Year Award 1x . After his father abandoned the family in 1920, they moved. ", "Document Deep Dive: The Heartfelt Friendship Between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey", "Jackie Robinson and baseball highlights, 1860s1960s", "It's Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday. They had three children, Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David Robinson. [126] He also scored four runs, drove in three, and stole two bases in the Royals' 141 victory. January 31, 1919 Georgia. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. Weary of constant disagreements with O'Malley, and with no hope of being re-appointed as President of the Dodgers, Rickey cashed out his one-quarter financial interest in the team, leaving O'Malley in full control of the franchise. [24][32], That year, Robinson was one of 10 students named to the school's Order of the Mast and Dagger (Omicron Mu Delta), awarded to students performing "outstanding service to the school and whose scholastic and citizenship record is worthy of recognition. [162] By then, he had begun to exhibit the effects of diabetes and to lose interest in the prospect of playing or managing professional baseball. [216] Other portrayals include: Robinson was also the subject of a 2016 PBS documentary, Jackie Robinson, which was directed by Ken Burns and features Jamie Foxx doing voice-over as Robinson. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) was the first African-American Major League Baseball (MLB) player of modern times. [76], After his discharge, Robinson briefly returned to his old football club, the Los Angeles Bulldogs. [205], Robinson's career is generally considered to mark the beginning of the post"long ball" era in baseball, in which a reliance on raw power-hitting gave way to balanced offensive strategies that used footspeed to create runs through aggressive baserunning. [47] Baseball was Robinson's "worst sport" at UCLA; he hit .097 in his only season, although in his first game he went 4-for-4 and twice stole home. [198] After the season, the Dodgers traded Robinson to the arch-rival New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $35,000 cash (equal to $348,843 today). While Robinson wore several different numbers during his UCLA career, the school chose 42 because it had become indelibly identified with him. He was survived by his wife Delano, their three sons and three daughters, a son and daughter from previous marriages, twenty-five grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. [243][253] In 1968 he broke with the Republican party and supported Hubert Humphrey against Nixon in that year's presidential election. [289][290], Major League Baseball has honored Robinson many times since his death. I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me all I ask is that you respect me as a human being. [127] Robinson proceeded to lead the International League that season with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage,[23] and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. [164], Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 when a number of other black players entered the major leagues. [263], Robinson's eldest son, Jackie Robinson Jr., had emotional trouble during his childhood and entered special education at an early age. He hit .256 and stole only 12 bases. He died of heart attack at the age of 53, and his funeral was attended by thousands of people. Muchnick. The couple had three children, Jackie Robinson Jr., Sharon Robinson, and David Robinson. [117][118] In Jacksonville, the stadium was padlocked shut without warning on game day, by order of the city's Parks and Public Property director. [131] In the fall of 1946, following the baseball season, Robinson returned home to California and briefly played professional basketball for the short-lived Los Angeles Red Devils. [96][97] Rickey did not offer compensation to the Monarchs, instead believing all Negro league players were free agents due to the contracts not containing a reserve clause. [58] As a result, the applications of Robinson and his colleagues were delayed for several months. He believed that everything unpleasant that happened to him happened because of his blackness. [168][169], That year, a song about Robinson by Buddy Johnson, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? [10][11][12] His middle name was in honor of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who died 25 days before Robinson was born. [4] Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.[5]. Even The Sporting News, a publication that had backed the color line, came out against the idea of a strike. [163] The Dodgers briefly moved into first place in the National League in late August 1948, but they ultimately finished third as the Braves went on to win the league title and lose to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. 1. "[180][181][182], Before the 1951 season, O'Malley reportedly offered Robinson the job of manager of the Montreal Royals, effective at the end of Robinson's playing career. As an African-American baseball player, Jackie was on display for the whole country to judge. The event motivated Jackie to pursue his athletic career at the nearby University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he could remain closer to Frank's family. [280] In 1999, he was named by Time on its list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. [66] Robinson was acquitted by an all-white panel of nine officers. Rickey selected Robinson from a list of promising black players and interviewed him for possible assignment to Brooklyn's International League farm club, the Montreal Royals. "[186] He finished the season with 106 runs scored, a batting average of .335, and 25 stolen bases. [236], In his first year of eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962,[73] Robinson encouraged voters to consider only his on-field qualifications, rather than his cultural impact on the game. [104] He was not necessarily the best player in the Negro leagues,[105] and black talents Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were upset when Robinson was selected first. [136] Black fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams. O'Malley was quoted in the Montreal Standard as saying, "Jackie told me that he would be both delighted and honored to tackle this managerial post"although reports differed as to whether a position was ever formally offered. [25], In 1936, Robinson won the junior boys singles championship in the annual Pacific Coast Negro Tennis Tournament and earned a place on the Pomona annual baseball tournament all-star team, which included future Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Bob Lemon. [179] Rickey shortly thereafter became general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. [303][304] On June 25, 2008, MLB installed a new plaque for Robinson at the Baseball Hall of Fame commemorating his off-the-field impact on the game as well as his playing statistics. David Robinson, the youngest child of Jack and Rachel Robinson, was born in 1952. [313], Since 2004, the Aflac National High School Baseball Player of the Year has been presented the "Jackie Robinson Award". Along with the museum, scholarships will be awarded to "young people who live by and embody Jackie's ideals. [163] His salary that year was the highest any Dodger had been paid to that point: $35,000[172] ($394,198 in 2021 dollars[173]). [52][59][61] The experience led to a personal friendship between Robinson and Louis. [89] Even with the stands limited to management, Robinson was subjected to racial epithets. [327][328] Robinson also has an asteroid named after him, 4319 Jackierobinson. [4], Later in spring training, after some less-than-stellar performances, Robinson was shifted from shortstop to second base, allowing him to make shorter throws to first base. [52][53][54], After the government ceased NYA operations, Robinson traveled to Honolulu in the fall of 1941 to play football for the semi-professional, racially integrated Honolulu Bears. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded. [167] Robinson also noted that "Sisler showed me how to stop lunging, how to check my swing until the last fraction of a second". [93] Baseball fans also voted Robinson as the starting second baseman for the 1949 All-Star Gamethe first All-Star Game to include black players. [243][246], Robinson was active in politics throughout his post-baseball life. [19][20][21], In 1935, Robinson graduated from Washington Junior High School and enrolled at John Muir High School (Muir Tech). He had a big role in bringing racial . [43][44] They went undefeated with four ties at 604. Karl Downs. His mother, Mallie Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her four other children. [86], During the season, Robinson pursued potential major league interests. [288] In 1997, a $325,000 bronze sculpture (equal to $548,606 today) by artists Ralph Helmick, Stu Schecter, and John Outterbridge depicting oversized nine-foot busts of Robinson and his brother Mack was erected at Garfield Avenue, across from the main entrance of Pasadena City Hall; a granite footprint lists multiple donors to the commission project, which was organized by the Robinson Memorial Foundation and supported by members of the Robinson family. [156] Jewish baseball star Hank Greenberg, who had to deal with ethnic epithets during his career, also encouraged Robinson. Clay Hopper, the manager of the Royals, asked Rickey to assign Robinson to any other Dodger affiliate, but Rickey refused. "[307][308][309] The museum opened in 2023. For other people named Jackie Robinson, see, Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954, The number 42 worn by Robinson on a plaque at Monument Park (left), and Jackie Robinson Rotunda inside Citi Field (right), MVP, Congressional testimony, and film biography (19481950), Pennant races and outside interests (19511953), World Championship and retirement (19541956). [162] The year saw the release of a film biography of Robinson's life, The Jackie Robinson Story, in which Robinson played himself,[174] and actress Ruby Dee played Rachel "Rae" (Isum) Robinson. Although the team enjoyed ultimate success, 1955 was the worst year of Robinson's individual career. Since 1997, only Wayne Gretzky's number 99, retired by the NHL in 2000, and Bill Russell's number 6, retired by the NBA in 2022, have been retired league-wide in any of the four major sports. "[151], However, Robinson received significant encouragement from several major league players. "[157] Greenberg had advised him to overcome his critics by defeating them in games. His father left the family a year later. [28] On the football team, he played quarterback and safety. He come to beat ya. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. [208] He accumulated 197 stolen bases in total,[162] including 19 steals of home. [171], In 1950, Robinson led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman with 133. Jack had 16 grandchildren and as of 2014, he had 2 great-grandchildren. The driver backed down, but after reaching the end of the line, summoned the military police, who took Robinson into custody. [48], While a senior at UCLA, Robinson met his future wife, Rachel Isum (b.1922), a UCLA freshman who was familiar with Robinson's athletic career at PJC. In 1987, both the National and American League Rookie of the Year Awards were renamed the "Jackie Robinson Award" in honor of the first recipient (Robinson's Major League Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 encompassed both leagues). The trade, however, was never completed; unbeknownst to the Dodgers, Robinson had already agreed with the president of Chock full o'Nuts to quit baseball and become an executive with the company. For the family of Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, it's an honor they've had An embarrassing mistake on a New York street sign named in honor of Jackie Robinson is going viral. That year, he served as editor for Our Sports magazine, a periodical focusing on Negro sports issues; contributions to the magazine included an article on golf course segregation by Robinson's old friend Joe Louis. [301] After Griffey received her permission, Commissioner Bud Selig not only allowed Griffey to wear the number, but also extended an invitation to all major league teams to do the same. [48] In 2002, Molefi Kete Asante included Robinson on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. In the mid-1940s, Branch Rickey, club president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, began to scout the Negro leagues for a possible addition to the Dodgers' roster. [42] At a time when only a few black students played mainstream college football, this made UCLA college football's most integrated team. [52][54] After a short season, Robinson returned to California in December 1941 to pursue a career as running back for the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the Pacific Coast Football League. [211], Assessing himself, Robinson said, "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me all I ask is that you respect me as a human being. [52][110][111], In 1946, Robinson arrived at Daytona Beach, Florida, for spring training with the Montreal Royals of the Class AAA International League. [159] His cumulative performance earned him the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate National and American League Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949). They were the only black family on their block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond. Dodgers sportscaster Vin Scully later noted that the incident showed "how much of a competitor Robinson was. [165] In 1948, Wendell Smith's book, Jackie Robinson: My Own Story, was released. [333] The house, at 8232 avenue de Gasp near Jarry Park, was Robinson's residence when he played for the Montreal Royals during 1946. "[230] Robinson retired from baseball at age 37 on January 5, 1957. [238] In 1966, Robinson was hired as general manager for the short-lived Brooklyn Dodgers of the Continental Football League. 4. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. [135] Robinson became the first player since 1884 to openly break the major league baseball color line. [26] While playing football at PJC, Robinson suffered a fractured ankle, complications from which would eventually delay his deployment status while in the military. While Mr. Robinson patrolled second base, his wife, Rachel, was combing the Connecticut suburbs for a family home. [320][321] A number of facilities at Pasadena City College (successor to PJC) are named in Robinson's honor, including Robinson Field, a football/soccer/track facility named jointly for Robinson and his brother Mack. [6][7] Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. It was a painful search, derailed by racist brokers and neighbors who were afraid that selling to an African-American family even to Mr. and Mrs. Jackie Robinson would cause lower property values, block busting, or worse. [113][114][115] Since the Dodgers organization did not own a spring training facility,[116] scheduling was subject to the whim of area localities, several of which turned down any event involving Robinson or Johnny Wright, another black player whom Rickey had signed to the Dodgers' organization in January. American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 - 1972) of the Brooklyn Dodgers. [108] Later that off-season, he briefly toured South America with another barnstorming team, while his fiance Isum pursued nursing opportunities in New York City. David Robinson created Sweet Unity Farms, a group of 300 small farms in Tanzania. "[203], Beginning his major league career at the relatively advanced age of 28, he played only ten seasons from 1947 to 1956, all of them for the Brooklyn Dodgers. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. [66][70], After Robinson's commander in the 761st, Paul L. Bates, refused to authorize the legal action,[71] Robinson was summarily transferred to the 758th Battalionwhere the commander quickly consented to charge Robinson with multiple offenses, including, among other charges, public drunkenness, even though Robinson did not drink. 1950), and David Robinson (b. For a general survey of the media reaction to Robinson at various phases of his career, In addition to Robinson, the 1949 All-Star game featured, Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, History of baseball in the United States Racial integration in baseball, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 100 most influential people of the 20th century, The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, List of first black Major League Baseball players, List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders, List of Major League Baseball batting champions, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise, List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle, List of Major League Baseball retired numbers, List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders, List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders, List of Negro league baseball players who played in Major League Baseball, List of University of California, Los Angeles people, Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders, "Boston Braves at Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score, April 15, 1947", "Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson: precursors of the civil rights movement", "In Pharaoh's Land: Cairo, Georgia 19191920", "White House dream team: Jackie Roosevelt Robinson", "Robinson a Baseball Star? 52 ] [ 243 ] [ 309 ] the experience led to a personal friendship between and... 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