-->
-
Jackie Robinson was a Hall of Fame baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was renown for his courage and strength in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
On April 15, 2009, Major League Baseball will honor Robinson by having all players, managers, coaches and umpires wearing #42 jerseys. The event marks the 62th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.MLB.com: MLB ready to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day
-
Early Years
Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo Georgia on January 31, 1919. He attended John Muir High School, then Pasadena Junior College and eventually the University of California, Los Angeles. While at U.C.L.A. he lettered in 4 different sports, Track, football, basketball and baseball then left U.C.L.A. for financial reasons. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944 he would be honorably discharged after he was acquitted of insubordination charges for refusing to move to the back a a segregated bus. He joined the Negro League Baseball teams in 1945, playing shortstop. After being discovered by Branch Rickey, he was invited by the owner to join the Brooklyn Dodgers. -
Breaking the Color Barrier
On April 15, 1947 Robinson played the first game by an African American in Major League Baseball. In the years following he would endure abuse from fans as well as players. But he managed to still win several honors throughout his career such as the National League Rookie of the Year, Six All-Star Selections and the National League Most Valuable Player award. He would retire after the 1956 season, after the Dodgers traded him to the San Francisco Giants. He would be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. -
Post Baseball
Robinson would continue to speak out against racism and became a civil rights activist serving on the board of the NAACP until 1967. He would pass away due to diabetes and heart disease on October 24, 1972. He is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn New York. In March 1984, President Ronald Reagan awarded Robinson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, then on April 15, 1997 Major League Baseball retired the Number 42 on all teams. On October 23, 2003 the United States Congress awarded Robinson posthumously with the Congressional Gold Medal. -
Jackie Robinson Timeline
- January 31, 1919: Born
- 1947: Rookie of the Year
- 1949: Most Valuable Player
- 1949-1954: All-Star
- 1955: World Series Champion
- 1957: Retired from Baseball
- 1962: Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
- 1972: Jackie Robinson Passes away
- 1984: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1997: Robinson's #42 is retired on almost all Major League Baseball teams
- 2003: Awarded Congressional Gold Medal of Honor
-
Recent Contributors
- View History
- Discuss on the Message Board
- Embed this Page
-
Share this page
-
-
The Mahalo Top 7
-
Wikipedia: Jackie Robinson
en.wikipedia.org -
MLB.com: MLB ready to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day
mlb.mlb.com (April 13, 2009) -
ESPN.com: Jackie changed face of sports
espn.go.com -
Official Charity: The Jackie Robinson Foundation
jackierobinson.org -
USA Today: Jackie Robinson receives Congressional Gold Medal
usatoday.com (March 02, 2005) -
National Baseball Hall of Fame: Jackie Robinson
baseballhalloffame.org -
TIME 100: Jackie Robinson
time.com
-
Wikipedia: Jackie Robinson
-
-
Jackie Robinson on Twitter Powered by Twitter
-
LeBron was a clown to think the NBA should retire #23 for Jordan. Totally diminishes what Jackie Robinson did.
@1250dougrussell | November 14, 2009 07:01 PM -
@BeatBullies haha. I agree with SVG. Jackie Robinson should be the only player with a retired #.
@PfromHtown | November 14, 2009 04:51 PM -
I think @chamillionaire will love this article! Stan Van Gundy on Retiring No. 23: '(Jordan) Is Not Jackie Robinson' http://bit.ly/3s99j
@BeatBullies | November 14, 2009 04:46 PM -
I father/i brooklyn dodger them/i jack/i rob/i sin/ ah man I'm jackie robinson/cept when I dodge I dodge the pen-#hovaatl
@Katie_Sellu | November 14, 2009 04:40 PM -
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black person to play major league baseball, playing with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
@Diamond_TTN | November 14, 2009 04:00 PM
-
-
Jackie Robinson on Amazon | View All
-
A Guide for Using In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson in the Classroom - $8.99
This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabul...
Amazon -
Jackie Robinson Story [VHS] - $9.99
The vintage film biography The Jackie Robinson Story is unusual in that Robinson portrays himself, and the movie was produced in 1950, barely three years after he took up his position at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and brok...
Amazon -
Jackie Robinson Los Angeles Dodgers Cooperstown Name and Number T-Shirt (X-Large) - $19.99
The Cooperstown Player Name & Number Tee by Majestic is a 100% cotton jersey team colored tee with the team logo screened to front chest and the player's name and number on back. Soft, comfortable and featuring some of the greatest baseball...
Amazon -
Thank You, Jackie Robinson - $4.99
After Sam's father died, he became so wrapped up in the Brooklyn Dodgers that he could describe every game they'd played in the past four years. Nobody was very interested, until Sam met Davy. They came from different races, religions, and ...
Amazon -
Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season - $15.00
April 15, 1947, marked the most important opening day in baseball history. When Jackie Robinson stepped onto the diamond that afternoon at Ebbets Field, he became the first black man to break into major-league baseball in the twentieth cent...
Amazon
-
-
Questions and Answers About Jackie Robinson | View All | Ask a Question
View All Jackie Robinson Questions (49) | Ask a QuestionDoes the bar in the film Jackie Brown exist? (1 Answer)Looks that way...it's the Cockatoo Inn, and it really is near the airport, apparrently! I think I've been there... read moreHow did you like the book Telempath by Spider Robinson? (1 Answer)I have enjoyed all of the Spider Robinson books that I have read, especially the Callahan series. I have most of them. The last one in the series seemed rather ... read moreJackie Robinsons number 42 was retired from every team except the NY Yankees. What NY player wears 42? (2 Answers)Actually the Yankees have retired number 42. Offthedome is right about Mariano Rivera & the timing of the league-wide retirement of #42. I think there are a couple other MLB ... read moreStardance (by Spider & Jeanne Robinson) is being made into a movie! What do you think? Did you like the book? (1 Answer)The Stardance trilogy is great, and more serious than many of Spider's works. I think it will be extremely difficult to make it realistic - even through the apparent use ... read more
Ask a Question about Jackie Robinson 140 characters
-
-
Jackie Robinson Vital Stats
- Mahalo's Guide to the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Baseball-Reference.com : Career Stats
- Height: 5'11
- Weight: 204
- Years Pro: 10
-
Jackie Robinson News and Articles
- ESPN.com: Jackie Robinson
- Google News: Jackie Robinson
- ESPN.com: After Jackie
- MLB.com: Griffey to pay Tribute to Robinson (April 4, 2007)
- NYDailyNews.com: Mets Honor Robinson at New Home (November 14, 2006)
- EyewitnesstoHistory.com: Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball's Color Barrier
- MLB.com: The Pioneer
-
