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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