In 1947, history was made when Jackie Robinson, the first African American athlete to play Major League Baseball, stepped up to bat for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Jackie Robinson was born Jan. 31, 1919 in Cairo, Ga. He was the youngest of five children. Growing up, he attended John Muir High School in Pasadena, Ca. where he excelled in football, baseball, basketball and track and field. In 1938, he was named the region’s Most Valuable Player in baseball.
After graduating from high school, Jackie went on to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where he became the first student to win a varsity letter in four sports.
When America entered World War II, Jackie Robinson served as a second lieutenant, but never saw any actual combat.
After an honorable discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson began his professional baseball career. At the time, segregation was prevalent, and African Americans and white people played in two separate, different leagues. Robinson was chosen by Branch Rickey, the President of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time, to help integrate baseball.
Robinson played his first game with the Dodgers April 15, 1947. By the end of 1947, he was batting a .297 average with 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League Pennant. In that same year, he led the National League in stolen bases and was awarded Rookie of the Year. That opened the door for his African American contemporaries.
Over his career from 1947 to 1956, he had a .311 batting average, 137 homeruns, 1,518 hits and was at bat 4,877 times.
In 1955, Robinson helped the Dodgers win the world series, and in 1956, he was traded to the New York Giants. He never played a game for the team, and retired on Jan. 5, 1957.
After his retirement, Jackie Robinson was an active, vocal champion for African American athletes and civil rights. He was also the first African American to be inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1962. His J jersey number (42) was retired in 1972.
Jackie Robinson eventually died in Stamford, Ct from heart problems at 53 years old.
