Jackie Robinson
In 1941, Robinson left college and soon enlisted in the United States Army. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and became second lieutenant in the then segregated army. Robinson protested the discrimination in his unit. At Fort Hood in Texas, Jackie was arrested after refusing to move to the back of the bus. He received an honorable discharge in 1944, leaving with a rank of first lieutenant. Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League in 1945 to begin his baseball career. Branch Rickey quickly noticed that Jackie Robinson was a great player. He signed him to the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was assigned to the minor league Montreal Royals for one season. Rickey told Robinson that he would have to be a cool man, not letting the racial taunts and threats get to him at all. He couldnt respond to their slurs. This signing made Jackie the first black person to play in the MLB since it became segregated in 1889.
Jackie made his debut on April 15, 1947. He was the first black man to play in the MLB in the twentieth century. Throughout the season, rival players made an effort to intimidate Robinson. They threw pitches at him, spat on him, and cleated him. That year, Robinson hit .297 with 29 steals and was named Rookie of the Year in the Major League. The Dodgers won the NL pennant in 1947. In his career, Robinson stole home a surprising 19 times. Robinsons skill helped make the Dodgers one of the best teams in baseball. He was named MVP in 1949 with a .342 batting average and 37 steals. After playing in the World Series in six of his ten professional years, he won his first world series with the Dodgers in 1955. Robinson retired from baseball in 1956, with a career batting average of .311. His number 42 was retired officially by the MLB. Jackie was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He wanted to be the first black manager, but no team would hire him. Robinson starred in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story and was the author of I Never Had It Made. He died on October 24, 1972 in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 53.When Jackie was young, he had to overcome many obstacles, including living with a single mom that worked two jobs with four other siblings. He became a baseball star, after being threatened racially many times. But he kept his cool and did not respond to the threats. Robinson had a fantastic baseball career, racking up many achievements. He died at the young age of 53. Jackie Robinson was a courageous and classy man who opened the door for blacks in professional sports in 1947. His legacy will be remembered as one of the most important in history. He was never swayed by anyones opinion, and he broke the 80 year-old color barrier in the MLB.