Jackie Robinson

Biography:

 Born in Cairo, Georgia – January 31, 1919

 Youngest of 5 children
 Grew up poor in a rich community in Pasadena, California
 Lettered in 4 sports
 Older brother Mack was an Olympic Athlete winning a silver in the 1936 Olympics (losing to Jesse Owens)

What made him special?:

 On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson ‘broke the colour barrier’ when he became the first African-American
player in Major League baseball (in the modern era)
 Until then, black players were segregated and forced to play in the Negro Leagues.
 He won Rookie of the Year, was an All-star for 5 straight seasons, and won the National League Most
Valuable Player in 1949.
 Played in 6 World Series, winning one.
 His number 42 was universally retired in 1997, becoming the first athlete in any major sport to be so
honoured.
 In 1962, became the first African-American to be named to the hall of fame.
 In 1997, Robinson was given his stamp.

Facts:

 Robinson also was the first black television analyst in MLB, and the first black vice president of a major
American corporation.
 In 1972, was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
 In 1938, he was given a suspended sentence for disputing the detention of a friend by police.
 In 1942, Robinson was drafted into the Army in Kansas.
 He was court-martialled for refusing to move to the back of the Army bus. He was among other charges,
public drunkenness, even though Robinson did not drink.
 One result of the court martial (and later acquittal) was Robinson never was deployed.
 Following the military, Jackie Robinson started coaching basketball.
 During his tryout in 1945 with the Boston Red Sox, although limited to management, Robinson still faced
racial epithets from the stands
 When in Spring Training he was not allowed to stay at the hotel with his teammates.
 When Dodgers teammates refused to play with Robinson, then manager Leo Durocher told players, if they
didn’t like it, they’d be traded.
 Was often the target of brushbacks, hard slides, and racial language.
 Starred in his own life story.

Quotes:

 “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

 “the game of baseball is great, but the greatest thing is what you do after your career is over.”
 “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me…all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
 “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what
goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”
 There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.”

Paragraph:

I was surprised how nervous I felt. My palms were so sweaty I was scared I wouldn’t be able to hold the
bat. Try as I might, I couldn’t block the crowd either. I could hear them. All the terrible things they were saying,
but I could others too, shouting for me not against me. It steeled my resolve. The best revenge against someone
is to be better. To beat them at their own game. For too long I had been looked down upon like a second class
citizen, now was my time. I ground my cleat into the dirt. Looked out the 60 feet to the mound. This was it. Time
to make history.