Essay On Jackie Robinson

JACKIE ROBINSON 2

Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Baseball Racial Barrier

Baseball has been called “America's Pastime” for years because people have played baseball for years and it is one of the first things fathers teach their sons. Family’s go to ballparks all over the nation to watch baseball at all levels of play from T-ball through the Major League of Baseball (MLB). Throughout the years there have been many great, loved, and cherished baseball players including Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, and Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is on the top of the list of all time greats, not only because he was a great player, but because of all he accomplished and overcame through racism and how he helped transform

Jackie still had support from some loyal people when everyone else was putting him down. The League President Ford Frick supported him by attending many games and he loved to watch Jackie play. Also, the Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler loved Jackie and loved to watch him play the wonderful game. The Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese was one of Jackie’s biggest supporters of all. One time when Jackie was being harassed during a game, Pee Wee walked over to Jackie and put his arm around Jackie’s shoulders. That little gesture from a loyal teammate helped support Jackie in tough times.

Jackie did not allow racism and racial comments to affect his play. In his first year in the MLB he hit an astonishing twelve home runs (Rampersad, 1997). He was a big part of leading the Dodgers to win the National League Pennant that year. His speed allowed him to lead the National League in stolen bases. Jackie was awarded the best award a rookie can win when he was awarded the Rookie of the Year award. In the next year he won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the National League (“Jackie Robinson Biography”, 2016). The way Jackie started off playing probably helped make more people like

He helped pave the way for a better life for his children in the racial aspect.

The time in which Jackie was playing, or the Robinson era, changed baseball forever. He was considered a hero in the sport of baseball for all of his athletic accomplishments and also a hero in the area of racism. There were even songs named after him because so many people came to love him (Simon, 2002). He set a league record with stealing home base nineteen times which is proven to be one of the hardest things to do in baseball. He became the highest paid athlete in Dodgers baseball history by the end of his career. He helped other African Americans be able to play the sport of baseball in the MLB.

Jackie’s death was an end but was not the end of his era. He died on October 24, 1972 from heart and diabetes problems that he had been fighting for a long while (Simon, 2002). He left behind his wife and only two of his three kids because one of his sons, Jackie Jr. was killed in an automobile accident while Jackie was still alive. Jackie’s wife created the Jackie Robinson Foundation honoring his life and work after he passed away(Rampersad, 1997). The Foundation helps young kids in need by providing scholarships and mentoring programs for them. Jackie may have died in the physical way but he is still with us today through all of the monuments, stories, accomplishments of him and he will never be