Monday, April 15, 2019

Jackie Robinson Day: honoring the man, the legend and his legacy


Today is Jackie Robinson Day, an annual traditional event for Major League Baseball, which commemorates and honors the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut on Opening Day April 15, 1947. Robinson was the first black major league player which ended an approximately 80-year segregation when he began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers). First started in 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated by every team in Major League Baseball. Who was Jackie Robinson? What is his journey into major league baseball? And how is the day celebrated in baseball?


Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 to sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. His middle name was in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt who had died 25 days before his birth. His father left the family in 1920 and his mother moved Jackie and his 4 older siblings to Pasadena, California. He attended John Muir High School (Muir Tech) where he played several sports at the varsity level. He would letter in 4: football (quarterback), basketball (guard), track and baseball (shortshop and catcher). He would then attend Pasadena Junior College (PJC) where he continued his athletic career. In 1938, he would be elected to the All-Southland Junior College Team for baseball and later selected as Most Valuable Player (MVP). After graduating PJC, he enrolled in UCLA where he was the first in the school’s history to letter in 4 sports. In 1942, he was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army Calvary unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. After a series of horrible racist events, Robinson was court-martialed in August 1944, charged with 2 counts of insubordination during questioning. He was acquitted by an all-white panel of 9 officers. He would be honorably discharged in November 1944, having never seen combat.


Early 1944, Robinson was offered a contract for the Negro League team Kansas City Monarchs. He would become frustrated with the leagues lack of organization. He pursued potential major league interests. No black man had played in the major league since Moses Fleetwood Walter in 1884. In 1945, the Boston Red Sox held tryouts, but it was a farce and Robinson left humiliated. On a side note, the Red Sox would be the last team to integrate, holding out until 1959. However, other teams were serious about signing a black player. Branch Rickey, club president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, actively scouted the Negro League teams in the mid-1940s. Robinson wasn’t considered the best player in the league so when he was signed, it disappointed other players like Satchel Paige (1906-1982) and Josh Gibson (1911-1947). Larry Doby (1923-2003), 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. The best was Josh Gibson. I think that's one of the reasons why Josh died so early – he was heartbroken” (Moore, 1988).


Jackie Robinson retired from baseball on January 5, 1957 at the age of 37. He died October 24, 1972. His number, 42, was retired by the Dodgers in June 1972. In 1997, his number would be retired across the league. He is the first pro athlete in any sport to receive such an honor. Jackie Robinson Day is held on April 15 and April 16 (for teams that are not playing on the 15th). All players, managers, coaches, umpires, and other on-filed personnel will wear #42. All licensed royalties from sales of items commemorating Jackie Robinson Day are donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The foundation was founded in 1973 which provides scholarships and other programs for disadvantaged students of color. Robinson’s widow, Rachel and surviving children, Sharon and David, attend Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.


In conclusion, Jackie Robinson Day is a day to commemorate and honor the man and his accomplishments in the sport of baseball as well as an inspiration for the many players who would follow him. Jackie Robinson faced many challenges and obstacles as he made history with his athleticism; however, he is an inspiration for perseverance and determination. Even though I am not a big baseball fan, I cannot ignore the impact Jackie Robinson has had on the game and those who followed him.

References
Moore, Joseph Thomas (1988). Pride and Prejudice: The Biography of Larry Doby. New York: Praeger Publishers. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-275-92984-8

For more information on Jackie Robinson Day events around MLB, please visit, www.mlb.com/mlb-community/jackie-robinson-day.

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