sean.oneill

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was an influence to not only the baseball world, but to all of America. Jackie Robinson grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, so he wasn’t given the same opportunities as whites. During this period when the Jim Crow laws were still in effect, it was unheard of for a black man to play baseball, besides in the separate Negro Leagues. Jackie was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Down south, where Jackie lived, there was a lot of segregation. Jackie had to go to school separate from whites and couldn’t do simple tasks like drink from the same water fountains as whites. Jackie’s father, Jerry Robinson, a slave, abandoned his wife Mallie Robinson and his five children while Jackie was still an infant. Jackie’s siblings Edgar, Frank, Matthew and Willa Mae were all very good athletes themselves. It was very hard for a black woman to find a job. So Mallie and her children moved to Pasadena, California where the segregation was not as bad. Mallie did find a job and the family stayed there all the way up until Jackie’s college days. Jackie was given a scholarship to Pasadena Junior College for his high school sport achievements in baseball, basketball, football, and track. At Pasadena he continued his success by getting various awards like the football teams leading rusher and also he was the leading scorer on the basketball team. His career at Pasadena Junior College didn’t last long though because he was recruited by UCLA under a full scholarship. He never did graduate from college because he joined a Negro professional football team the, Honolulu Bears, but he was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame on June 10, 1984. Jackie realized it was very important to get a diploma, but his mother really needed the money. His time with the Bears was cut short when he joined a new team, the United States Army in 1942. During this time World War II was going on and the marines were in deep need of soldiers. Jackie only lasted 3 years though as he was discharged for his weak ankles from playing football. He also was not the favorite in the army because of his multiple protests with his fellow soldiers about not getting the same treatment as the whites. Then Jackie was pushed by his brother Matthew to start a baseball career. Matt hadn’t had the opportunity to play because his mother needed him to go out and get a job to make some money. In 1945 Jackie joined a Negro league team called the Kansas City Monarchs. A few months later, some more exciting news happened to Jackie when he married Rachel Isum on February 10, 1946. They later had three children named Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David. Then three years after his debut in the Negro Leagues Jackie signed with the Dodgers in 1949. This may be pretty interesting to you no, but wait until you hear he was the first black player to play on a professional baseball team. Life may sound great being a professional baseball player and all, but it was not so sweet for Jackie. Jackie was forced to ride on the back of the bus to games and had to eat at separate restaurants than the rest of his teammates for being black. Even though he was constantly being booed and criticized Jackie still put up amazing numbers in his rookie season. Jackie led the league in stolen bases and kept a batting average over 300. These impressive stats got him the Rookie of the Year Award in 1949. Jackie now had to work even harder because he had set his expectations so high for himself. He received a salary of 35,000 dollars, which at that time was one of the highest in the league. Now there were billboards with Jackie Robinson’s picture on them and even a documentary was made about his life. Jackie continued to put up impressive stats such as stolen base titles and batting titles for the highest batting average. Up until 1955, an injury plagued season for Jackie things were going great. Jackie missed a majority of the games and this created a bad relationship with his manager. Jackie realized his golden days were behind him so he retired from baseball in January 1957. Like many expected Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first eligible year. After Jackie’s baseball career his last achievement was getting his number retired all across the major leagues. This means no other player can wear Jackie Robinson’s number 42 ever again. Jackie was very involved in the Civil Rights Movement so after his playing days he became an advocate for blacks. He also started a restaurant called Chock Full O’Nuts where he employed blacks and whites willing to work with each other. He also started a construction business that made houses for less fortunate black people. Next, he campaigned for Hubert Humphrey’s senator seat in 1960. Two very devastating things that happened to Jackie were that his son Jackie Jr. was charged with possession of heroin and later in 1971 his son was killed in a car accident. Jackie was killed at the age of 53 from a heart attack at his home in Connecticut. Jackie’s wife Rachel, Sharon, and David Robinson still are alive to this day. Jackie Robinson was loved by many people, even whites, during his lifetime. If I were to describe Jackie Robinson the first word that comes to my mind is bravery. Jackie not only was the first black major league player, but he was even brave enough to step on the field with thousands of people booing him. When he was off the field Jackie received many death threats and continued to step on the field and give it his all. Jackie would get cleated by players sliding into 2nd base and would get up even if he was in pain. Another word that describes Jackie is athletic. This is an easy word to choose because of his athletic achievements and records. You may think Jackie was a natural athlete, but he wasn’t. He worked the hard both on and off the field like he always had something to prove being the only black player on the field. He also played a variety of sports like football, basketball, and track not just baseball. The next way I would describe Jackie was kind. No matter what people said, even offensive stuff, Jackie always kept his anger under control and never fought back. It would have never been possible for Jackie to have played if he had a temper because he would have been too distracted. Also, he accepted the fact that he would not be treated as equal as the white players so he never fought back about sitting on the back of the bus to the games. Finally, Jackie was very determined to accomplish what no else had done before, play professional baseball. Without determination none of these traits would be true about Jackie Robinson and he probably wouldn’t be as famous as he is today. Jackie was an all-around good person that people loved to be around. I chose to do Jackie Robinson for this report because I knew I wanted to do someone involved in baseball. The first person that came to mind when I thought of baseball was Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is mainly just known for breaking the color barrier, but he should also be known for his great baseball abilities. Like I said before they didn’t come naturally and he was also a hard worker. I also play second base and I like to model my play after his. I may not be quite as fast as him, but I am inspired whenever I see how hard and how much Jackie hustled. He was also doing it for a good cause because he was mainly playing for his love of the game because he gave all his money to his mom. Finally, whenever I watch a professional baseball game I always see Jackie Robinson’s number retired and when I went to the Baseball Hall of Fame he seemed to be one of the most important people in the entire place. In conclusion, Jackie Robinson’s hard work and determination helped him achieve what no one else could have imagined.
 * __ Jackie Roosevelt Robinson Biography __**

__**Bibliography**__

"Jackie Robinson Biography." //Biography.com//. 2007. Web. Aug.-Sept. 2009.

"Jackie Robinson." //Biography Resource Center//. 24 Aug. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. .