Jackie Robinson: The Story Behind His Fame

Jackie Robinson: The Story Behind His Fame

Jackie Robinson was a baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s colour barrier by becoming its first black athlete. He made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 1947 and went on ahead to have a decade-long Hall of Fame career.  In my opinion, Robinson is quite admirable because he managed to achieve all these accomplishments despite the repeated threats and abuse he got from fans and opponents. Racism is obviously a difficult topic and I find it so admirable that this guy refused to give up in the face of all that animosity. Because of this, he was a vocal civil rights activist, serving on the board of the NAACP and advocating for greater racial integration in sports. So what’s the story behind this iconic figure’s fame?

1. He was raised in poverty by a single mother

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Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 and he was the youngest of five children. He was raised in relative poverty by a single mother but managed to defy all odds by becoming the best he could ever be in the field of sports and athletes. His older brother inspired him to pursue his talent and love for athletics. He relentlessly did that and even won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash just behind Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

2. Jackie Robinson was named an MVP in baseball in 1938

ベースボール・マガジン社（Baseball Magazine Co. Ltd), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Having attended John Muir High School in Pasadena and Pasadena Junior College in California, Robinson embraced sports wholesomely. He was an excellent athlete in school and played four sports. That is football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was excellent in all of them and was named Pasadena’s MVP in baseball in 1938. He continued with his education at UCLA and became the university’s first student to win varsity letters in four sports. Despite his athletic success, he couldn’t continue with his education due to financial hardships. He had to leave a few weeks before graduation.

3. Robinson served in the U.S. Army

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Between 1942 and 1944, Jackie Robinson served as the second lieutenant in the U.S. Army although he never saw combat. In 1944, during boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, he was arrested and court-martialed for refusing to give up his seat and moving to the back of a segregated bus. His excellent reputation, combined with the efforts of his friends, led to NAACP and other Black newspapers to shed light on the kind of injustice that was going on among black folks. Fortunately,  he was acquitted of the charges and received an honourable discharge from the army. His courage and blatant objection to racial segregation had a huge impact on MLB in later years.

4. He became a star in the Negro Leagues and made it to MLB

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After he was discharged from the army in 1944, Robinson began to play baseball professionally and during this time, sports was heavily segregated; with black and white people playing in separate leagues. Jackie began his career in the Negro Leagues in Kansas but was soon chosen by the Brooklyn Dodgers President, Branch Rickey, to integrate Major League Baseball (MLB). He joined an all-white team known as Montreal Royals in 1946 and later moved to Florida to begin spring training with the team. Of course, it wasn’t easy given how heavy racism was at the time and Rickey knew of this. So he made Jackie promise to not fight back when confronted with racism as this would only land him in more trouble. Jackie played his first game in 1947 at Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and made history as the first Black athlete to play MLB.

5. Jackie Robinson faced a lot of racism

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From the onset, it was clear his journey wouldn’t be an easy one. His will was constantly tested with some of his teammates at the Dodgers objecting to having an African American on their team. People in the crowd would jeer at him and his family received a lot of threats too. Despite all the racial abuse he was subjected to, Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals especially at away games, making this international league lead with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage. His successful years led to his promotion to the Dodgers although the harassment continued in the majors notably from the Philadelphia Phillies and their manager Ben Chapman. 

6. He proved to the world what a talented player he was by becoming Rookie of the Year

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Despite all the prejudice and racial slurs, Robinson would be subjected to, he succeeded in putting all that aside and proving to everyone what a talented player he was. Even though he predominantly played second base, he was versatile enough to be positioned all over the infield. In fact, in his first year, he batted .297 with 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant. That same year, he led the National League in stolen bases and was selected Rookie of the Year. He managed to wow fans and critics alike with impressive feats, like an outstanding .342 batting average during the 1949 season, and led in stolen bases that year which earned the National League’s MVP Award. He soon became a hero of the sport, even among former critics, and was the subject of the popular song, “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?” His success in the major leagues opened the door for other Black players, like Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron.

7. His stats were unbelievable

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Being the exceptional base runner he was, Robinson stole home 19 times, managing to set a league record and before retiring, becoming the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers history. During his whole MLB career from 1947 to 1956, he had a .311 average over 4,877 at-bats and recorded the following stats: 137 home runs, 1,518 hits, 734 runs batted in, 197 stolen bases, .409 on-base percentage and .883 on-base plus slugging. His wins above replacement value were later calculated to be 63.8 according to Baseball Reference, meaning that in their lineup, the Dodgers won almost 64 more games than they would have with a replacement-level player instead.

8. Robinson and his team won the National League pennant so many times

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In his very long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League many times. In 1955, he helped his team achieve the victory of all victories; winning the World Series. After failing in four other series matchups, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in seven games and Jackie helped them win one more National League pennant the following year. In 1956, he was traded to the New York Giants although he never played a game for the team as he retired shortly after in 1957. In 1962, five years later, Robinson became the first African American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

9. His wife and kid were his greatest inspiration

Los Angeles Daily News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 40s, Robinson met Rachel Isum, a nurse in training, when they were both attending UCLA. They married in 1946 and as Robinson was forging his career in the major leagues, the couple faced so many threats and racism which motivated the couple to later become actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. The couple had three children and they went to great lengths to create a nurturing home that sheltered their kids from the blatant racism that was there. Unfortunately, they lost their eldest child in 1971 due to a car accident but Robinson always said that his family was his greatest source of strength in the midst of so much hate and discrimination.

10. Jackie Robinson was very active in Civil Rights Activism

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Jackie was quite vocal when it came to fighting for the rights of Black athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes, making him serve on the board of NAACP until 1967. In 1949, he testified about discrimination before the House Un-American Activities, and in 1952, he publicly called out the New York Yankees as a racist organization for doing nothing about racism, five years after he began playing with the Dodgers. Jackie continued to lobby for greater racial integration in sports and was close friends with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr.

Jackie Robinson died in 1972 at 53 years old and the Major League Baseball retired in jersey no. 42 in 1997. The league continues to celebrate his legacy and accomplishments annually on Jackie Robinson Day.