Friday, April 15th was a special day for baseball. On this day we remember the legendary Jackie Robinson. All teams come together and rivalries are put aside as players and fans join in wearing number 42, a number that will always represent a man and a team that took a chance to forever change the game. This week in baseball we look back on Jackie’s journey, the obstacles he overcame, the people who continued to be his support system, and his impact on the sports industry as a whole.
In 1947, Robinson made history when his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers ended racial segregation in Major League Baseball. Throughout his career he made advancements in civil rights for black athletes, helped the dodgers win a World Series championship in 1955, was named rookie of the year in ’47, and national league MVP in ’49.
Although he is obviously known for his work on the field, what most people don’t know is that Robinson was specifically chosen to be the man to break the color barrier. Along with his attendance as a student-athlete at UCLA, his semi-professional football career in Hawaii, and his 2 years of service as a second lieutenant in the US Army, Robinson was scouted primarily due to his character and to be the man that took on this challenge and had the ability to rise above adversity. After being discharged, he played professionally in the negro leagues soon after he was discovered. Branch Ricky, former president of the Brooklyn Dodgers took a risk when he put his job on the line to fight for Robinson. During his time in the major leagues, Robinson endured many hardships. Players and fans were committed to making his time on the field as difficult as possible with racial slurs coming from players and managers of opposing teams and even his own teammates wanting to sit during the games he played, but Robinson so gracefully accepted everything that was thrown his way and worked to prove something that was much bigger than himself.
After baseball, Robinson served on the board of NAACP until 1967 and continued to work as an activist for social change. Robinson died from heart problems and diabetes on October 24, 1972. His wife Rachel, established the Jackie Robinson foundation after he passed, it’s dedicated to helping young people by providing scholarships and mentoring programs.
Jackie’s hard work payed off as he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, 10 years later the Dodgers retired No. 42 in Major League Baseball insuring that Jackie’s legacy would continue as No. 42 was retired throughout all of baseball, MLB Network honors Jackie with studio 42, “42” the movie was released in 2013, a PBS series directed by Ken Burnes premiered this past week, and of course Jackie Robinson day was created to be on the 15th, given that was the date of his major league debut, on this day every player in the MLB wears 42 in his honor.
” I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me…All I ask is that you respect me as a human being”
– Jackie Robinson
Thank you Jackie, your hard work and courageous act will never go unnoticed.
