Growing up, I remember hearing stories about Jackie Robinson, the man who broke baseball's color barrier and changed the game forever. His impact extended far beyond the diamond, shaping the course of history and inspiring generations to come. Today, Major League Baseball (MLB) continues to honor Robinson's legacy, not just on the field but also in preserving the rich tapestry of baseball culture.

In this blog, Galileo sports - a global supplier of baseball net and baseball hitting cages - will play detective and uncover the mystery behind Jackie Robinson.We know a lot of you are eager to know how he managed to beat the color barrier and change the game of baseball. Don’t worry, we’ve done our homework and are ready to spill the beans.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson, born on January 31, 1919 in Georgia (USA), is an American professional baseball player who plays for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African-American (black American) player in the history of Major League Baseball. Before Robinson wore the No. 42 jersey as the starting first baseman to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, the black man Players were only allowed to play in the Negro Leagues. Although the apartheid policy in the United States has been abolished for a long time, ubiquitous racial prejudice still strongly affects all levels of society. Therefore, the period when Jackie Robinson stepped onto the major league stage is recognized as one of the most important events in the modern American civil rights movement. one.

• Foreign name Jack Roosevelt Robinson
• Alias ​​Jackie Robinson
• Nationality American
• Birthplace Georgia, USA
• Date of birth January 31, 1919
• Date of death October 24, 1972
• Sports Baseball
• Sports team Brooklyn Dodgers
• Professional features UTIL, right-handed pitching and right-hitting

Jersey number 42

legendary star 

Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson was an excellent athlete who participated in baseball, American football, basketball and track and field in college. He also actively fought for civil rights and served in the military. On October 23, 1945, Robinson officially signed with the Dodgers. He used his year in the minor leagues to work hard to improve his baseball skills in preparation for reaching the major leagues.

Baseball policy of segregating black and white players would be forever rewritten when Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey signed Robinson to a contract and brought him to the major leagues, calling the move baseball's best Ricky, who experimented, knew that a player who chooses to cross the color line must be a strong individual who can withstand close public scrutiny and be able to avoid conflict when encountering insults and hostility.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson put on his first Dodgers uniform, carrying No. 42, and entered the major leagues as the starting first baseman. In the same year, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year title and won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. In 1955, he and his teammates defeated the rival New York Yankees and won the World Series.

In 1947, although the Dodgers were defeated by the Yankees in the World Series, Yogi Berra, the greatest catcher in the history of the Yankees, once predicted: "The Dodgers now have Robinson, and we will have countless decisive battles with them in the future." After that, the Dodgers and the Yankees faced off many times in the World Series, and finally defeated the Yankees in 1955. This was not only the first time the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in the World Series, but also the first time in the 73 years since the Dodgers were founded. The second World Series championship allowed Robinson to complete a difficult and perfect major league journey.

Since he only joined the major leagues at the age of 28, Jackie Robinson did not stay in the major leagues for a long time, only nine years in total, and retired in 1956. The short career will not affect future generations' evaluation of Jackie Robinson. In addition to winning the Rookie King, MVP, and World Series, Jackie Robinson's career batting average is an excellent .311, and he has more walks than strikeouts in his career. In addition to being an excellent hitter, he is also an excellent defender, capable of playing almost every fielding position. In addition, he is most famous for his ability to steal home runs. He has a record of successfully stealing home runs as many as nineteen times in his career.

Don't bow to fate

Robinson in Time Magazine on September 22, 1947 Jackie Robinson's story can serve as a beacon of light for many people in difficult times, from his father abandoning the family when he was a child and his mother working to raise his siblings, to his scholarship to attend the University of California. , is the school’s only athlete in baseball, American football, basketball, and track and field.

As the first black player to enter the Major League Baseball, the pressure is too great for ordinary people to bear. From his teammates boycotting him to not being able to eat in white restaurants, his teammates sympathized with him and secretly gave him food. The Ku Klux Klan in the South threatened to shoot him. When he was guarding first base, the opposing players would deliberately kick him with their feet when running to the base. He endured it and showed it to the world with his results.

Ever since the news broke that Robinson had joined the Dodgers and was about to become the first black player in the major leagues, many people in the Dodgers expressed their intention to leave the team; when he played in his first game, the police wanted to drive him out of the game; after intimidation When news spread about threatening to shoot him, he could only hide in the house of a black friend; during an away game, the home team threatened to strike, and in the face of fans who shouted insults at him, Robinson repeatedly endured the humiliation and continued to fight. Prove it all with hits after hits and stolen bases again and again.

Many white people in the South said they would never look down on black people in their lives, but seeing Jackie Robinson perform such an outstanding performance under such pressure has completely changed their views on black people. However, Robinson's friends said that because the pressure was too much, It is a pity that Robinson died so young.

Forever number 42

Jackie Robinson In 1962, Jackie Robinson was introduced into the Baseball Hall of Fame; on June 4, 1972, the Dodgers retired his jersey number 42, which means that this jersey and honor will always belong to Jackie Robinson alone. In memory of Jackie Robinson's outstanding contributions. Robinson died in October of the same year.

In 1997, the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson entering the major leagues. In order to commemorate this extraordinary significance and outstanding life, all major league teams retired the No. 42 jersey to remind the world to cherish this era of freedom and equality. In the future, the No. 42 jersey will be fully retired in the major leagues, and new players of all teams will no longer be allowed to use this number. This is an unprecedented initiative in professional sports, and the No. 42 jersey represented by Robinson is the first glorious precedent.

New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera was the last major league player to wear the number 42, which commemorated Jackie Robinson's uniform retirement after 1997. Number.

Influence on future generations

In 1947, the major leagues' first Rookie of the Year winner was the first black player, Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers. 1987 was the 40th anniversary of Robinson entering the major leagues. In order to commemorate Robinson's extraordinary contribution, the major leagues named the Rookie of the Year. King award, named "Jackie Robinson Award".

In 1997, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Robinson entering the major leagues, all major league teams also embroidered "Jackie Robinson 50" commemorative armbands on the arms of their jerseys, symbolizing the 50th anniversary of breaking the black and white barriers of the major leagues. , and expressed respect for Robinson. The then US President Clinton also went to the stadium to commend Robinson and praised his contribution to American sports and the civil rights movement. Robinson's widow accepted the award on behalf of him.

Since 2004, Major League Baseball has designated April 15 as "Jackie Robinson Day." On April 15, 2007, in order to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Robinson entering the major leagues, with the efforts and suggestions of young Griffey, the major league officials specially chose the day when Robinson played a game in the major leagues, so that every team in the major leagues Several players or coaches changed to wear the No. 42 jersey to commemorate and commend Robinson's courage and feats that year, including the Dodgers, Mets, Astros, Phillies, Cardinals, and Brewers. The entire team wore jersey No. 42 to commemorate this great major league star who was born in the Dodgers. In 2008, the Mets, Cardinals, Nationals and Rays all wore jersey No. 42. On "Jackie Robinson Day" in 2009, every Major League Baseball player wore jersey No. 42.

• In the United States, Robinson is not only regarded as a baseball player, he is also regarded as a black civil rights fighter. Therefore, activities to commemorate Robinson are not limited to the baseball world, but a national movement that will be participated in by all walks of life across the United States.
• In the music industry, there is also a tribute album to Robinson, called "Jackie Robinson: Stealing Home "A Musical Tribute"".
• In the film industry, there is "The Jackie Robinson Story", in which Robinson even played himself. The film was released in 1950. It was also the first film to depict a black man becoming an American hero.
• On April 12, 2013, "Legend of 42" directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Harrison Ford was released. This film is also a sports biopic based on the life of Jackie Robinson, racial equality It is also the theme of this film. The audience responded enthusiastically to the film, giving it a high score of "A+", with 83% of the audience being young people under the age of 25.

 

Team played for

The Brooklyn Dodgers, which Jackie Robinson played for at the time, were originally a professional team located in Brooklyn, New York City. Later, the Dodgers moved from the East Coast of the United States to Los Angeles on the West Coast in 1958, and became the Los Angeles we all know today. Dodgers.

Conclusion

Jackie Robinson's impact on baseball and society at large cannot be overstated. His legacy serves as a reminder of the power of resilience, courage, and compassion in the face of adversity. As MLB continues to honor Robinson's memory and preserve the rich tapestry of baseball culture, we can all draw inspiration from his example and strive to make the world a better place, both on and off the field.