Jackie Robinson

Baseball Player

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, United States on January 31st, 1919 and is the Baseball Player. At the age of 53, Jackie Robinson biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Date of Birth
January 31, 1919
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
Cairo, Georgia, United States
Death Date
Oct 24, 1972 (age 53)
Zodiac Sign
Aquarius
Networth
$6 Million
Profession
Athletics Competitor, Baseball Player, Basketball Coach
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Jackie Robinson Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 53 years old, Jackie Robinson physical status not available right now. We will update Jackie Robinson's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

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Jackie Robinson Religion, Education, and Hobbies
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Jackie Robinson Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
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Jackie Robinson Career

Military career

Robinson was drafted and sent to a segregated Army cavalry unit at Fort Riley (in Kansas). Robinson and several other black soldiers applied for admission to an Officer Candidate School (OCS), which was later located at Fort Riley, in the absence of the required credentials. Although the Army's initial OCS guidelines were developed as race neutral, only black applicants were accepted into OCS until Army leadership's subsequent orders. As a result, Robinson and his coworkers' applications were delayed for several months. The men were accepted into OCS after widespread outrage over heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis (then stationed at Fort Riley) and with the help of Truman Gibson (then an assistant civilian aide to the Secretary of War). Robinson and Louis' friendship developed during their time together. Robinson was first hired as a second lieutenant in January 1943 after finishing OCS. Robinson and Isum were officially engaged just afterward.

Robinson was reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he was a member of the 761st "Black Panthers" Tank Battalion shortly after receiving his commission. Robinson used his weekend off to visit the Rev. When he was at Fort Hood, he often used his weekend off to visit the Rev. Karl Downs, President of Sam Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson University) in nearby Austin, Texas; in California, Downs had been Robinson's pastor at Scott United Methodist Church while Robinson attended PJC.

Robinson's military career was shattered by an event on July 6, 1944. Robinson boarded an Army bus with a fellow officer's wife while waiting for the results of hospital tests on the ankle, but the bus driver ordered Robinson to move to the back of the bus. Robinson declined. The driver backed down, but the military police, who took Robinson into custody, arrived at the end of the line. Robinson was suspended after Robinson pleaded with the investigating officer about racial profiling by the officer and his assistant later.

Robinson was summarily transferred to the 758th Battalion after Robinson's commander, Paul L. Bates, refused to authorize the legal proceedings, despite the fact that Robinson did not drink, among other things.

During questioning, the charges against Robinson had been reduced to two counts of insubordination by the time of the court-martial in August 1944. A three-strong committee of nine officers cleared Robinson, apprehension that had not been found.

Despite that his former unit, the 761st Tank Battalion, was the first black tank unit to see combat in World War II, Robinson's court-martial court held that he could not be sent to overseas; therefore, he never saw combat action.

Following his release from prison, he was transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, where he served as a army athletics coach before receiving an honorable discharge in November 1944. Robinson was visiting the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League, who advised Robinson to write the Monarchs and request a tryout while sitting down. Robinson took the former player's advice and wrote to Monarchs co-owner Thomas Baird.

Playing career

The Kansas City Monarchs sent Robinson a letter in early 1945, when he was at Sam Huston College. Robinson accepted a $400 per month salary. Robinson, although he did well for the Monarchs, was dissatisfied with the challenge. He had grown accustomed to a standardized playing environment in college, and the Negro leagues' disorganization and support for gambling interests alarmed him. In addition, the tumultuous travel schedule put a strain on his friendship with Isum, with whom he could now only communicate by letter. Robinson also played 47 games for the Monarchs, hitting.387 with five home runs and 13 stolen bases. He also appeared in the 1945 East-West All-Star Game, going hitless in five at-bats.

Robinson explored potential major league opportunities during the season. No black man had played in the major leagues since Moses Fleetwood Walker in 1884, but the Boston Red Sox nevertheless held a tryout at Fenway Park for Robinson and other black players on April 16. The attempt, on the other hand, was a farce designed to assuage powerful Boston City Councilman Isadore H. Muchnick's desegregationist sensibilities. Robinson was still subjected to racial epithets despite the fact that the stands were limited to administration. He left the tryout humiliated, and the Red Sox became the first major league team to fully integrate its roster in July 1959.

However, other clubs, on the other hand, were more concerned about acquiring a black ball player. Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager, began to scout the Negro leagues for a potential addition to the Dodgers' roster in the mid-1940s. Robinson was selected from a list of promising black players and interviewed for a potential move to the Montreal Royals' International League farm team in Brooklyn. Rickey was especially concerned about making sure his prospective signee could withstand the inevitable racial abuse levied against him. Rickey asked Robinson if he'd face the racial animus without taking the bait and reacting angrily, despite Robinson's prior experiences with law enforcement officers at PJC and in the military. Robinson was furious: "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" says Robinson. Rickey said he needed a Negro player with "good enough guts not to fight back." Rickey decided to commit to a $600 a month, which is equal to $9,031 today. Robinson pledged to "turn the other cheek" to racial antagonism. Rickey did not pay the Monarchs, instead claiming that all Negro league players were free agents due to the contracts not having a reserve clause. Wendell Smith, a writer for the black weekly Pittsburgh Courier, was one of those with whom Rickey discussed prospects, "influenced Rickey to fire Jack Robinson, for which he has never fully gotten credit."

Although Robinson was required to keep the deal private for the time being, Rickey committed to officially signing Robinson before November 1, 1945. Robinson would be sent by the Royals for the 1946 season beginning on October 23, according to the newspaper. Robinson officially signed his Royals contract on the same day, with representatives of the Royals and Dodgers present. Robinson, the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, was described later as "The Noble Experiment." Robinson was not exactly the best player in the Negro leagues, and black talents Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were furious when he was chosen first. "One of the things that was frustrating and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player," Larry Doby, who joined the color line in the American League the same year as Robinson said. Josh Gibson was the best in the world. Josh died so early, I believe it was one of the reasons why he died so early: he was heartbroken.

Robinson was able to leave behind the Monarchs and their grueling bus rides, and he headed home to Pasadena as a result of Rickey's invitation. He signed with Chet Brewer's Kansas City Royals, a post-season barnstorming team in the California Winter League, in September. He briefly toured South America with another barnstorming team later this season, while his fiancée Isum pursued nursing opportunities in New York City. Robinson and Isum were married by their old friend, the Rev. Karl Downs is a film director who created Karl Downs.

Robinson joined the Montreal Royals of the Class AAA International League in 1946 in Daytona Beach, Florida, for spring training. Clay Hopper, the Royals' manager, begged Rickey to transfer Robinson to any other Dodger affiliate, but Rickey refused.

In racially segregated Florida, Robinson's presence was divisive. He was not allowed to stay at the team's hotel, but rather lodged at Joe and Dufferin Harris, a politically influential African American couple who introduced the Robinsons to civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. Since the Dodgers did not have a spring training facility, scheduling was subjected to the whim of local communities, many of which turned down any activity involving Robinson or Johnny Wright, another black player for whom Rickey had signed to the Dodgers' team in January. The police chief in Sanford, Florida, threatened to cancel games if Robinson and Wright did not stop training; as a result, Robinson and Wright were sent back to Daytona Beach. The stadium was padlocked on game day by the city's Parks and Public Property director, who had no notification. A planned day game in DeLand was postponed ostensibly due to electrical issues at the stadium.

The Royals were allowed to stage a game involving Robinson in Daytona Beach after much lobbying by Rickey himself. In an exhibition game against the team's parent club, the Dodgers, Robinson made his Royal debut at Daytona Beach's City Island Ballpark on March 17, 1946. Robinson became the first black player to play for a minor league team against a major league team since the de facto baseball color line was introduced in the 1880s.

Robinson was moved from shortstop to second base in spring training, allowing him to make shorter throws to first base. Robinson's popularity soon recovered. The Jersey City Giants' season opener against the Montreal Royals on April 18, 1946, the first time the color barrier had been broken in a match between two minor league clubs. Warren Sandel, a pitcher against Robinson who had played against him while both living in California, was thrown out of the game. Dick Bouknight, the Jersey City catcher, requested that Sandel throw at Robinson during Robinson's first at bat, but Sandel refused. Despite Sandel's order to ground Robinson out at his first at bat, Robinson still had four hits in his five trips to the plate; his first hit was a three-run home run in the game's third innings. In the Royals' 14–1 victory, he scored four runs, drove in three, and took two bases. Robinson went on to lead the International League with a.349 batting average and.985 field percentage, and was named league Most Valuable Player. Despite the fact that he often faced hostility on road trips (the Royals were obliged to cancel a Southern exhibition tour, for example), the Montreal fan base overwhelmingly supports Robinson. Robinson's presence on the field, whether you like it or not, was a boon to attendance; more than one million people attended Robinson's games in 1946, an extraordinary figure by International League standards. Robinson returned home to California and briefly played professional basketball for the Los Angeles Red Devils during the 1946 baseball season.

In 1947, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues six days before the season began. Robinson, who was starting second base for the Dodgers, was his first major league appearance as a first baseman. Robinson made his debut in a Dodgers uniform wearing number 42 on April 11, 1947, in a preseason exhibition game against the New York Yankees at Ebbets Field, with 24,237 fans. Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field on April 15, the majority of whom were black, at a crowd of 26,623 fans. Despite failing to get a base hit, he walked and scored a run in the Dodgers' 5–3 victory. Robinson became the first player to officially break the major league color line since 1884. When the Dodgers arrived in town, black fans began flocking to see them, abandoning their Negro league teams.

Robinson's promotion received a generally positive, though mixed, reception among newspapers and white major league players. However, racial tensions existed in the Dodger clubhouse. Any Dodger players insinuated that they'd rather sit out rather than playing alongside Robinson than playing alongside him. When Dodgers general took a stand for Robinson, the brewing rebellion came to an end. "I don't care if the guy is yellow or black or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra," manager Leo Durocher told the team. I'm the head of this team, and I'm sure he plays. What's more, I think he'll make us all wealthy. And if any of you can't use the money, I will see that you are all sold."

Robinson was also mocked by opposition groups. According to a news outlet, the St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike if Robinson played and spread the walkout throughout the entire National League. The scheme's existence was said to have been leaked by Robert Hyland, the Cardinals' team physician, to Rutherford "Rud" Rennie of the New York Herald Tribune. Hyland's anonymity and work were leaked by the reporter, who in turn told his Tribune colleague and editor Stanley Woodward, whose own reporting with other sources shielded Hyland. The Woodward book made national television news. After it was announced, National League President Ford Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler announced that no striking players would be suspended. "You will find that the people who think you have in the press box will not be able to help you, not that you will be outcasts," Frick said. "I don't care if half of the league strikes." Many who do it will face swift retaliation. All will be suspended, but I don't care if it wrecks the National League for five years. One citizen has as much right to play as another." In 1947, Woodward's article was named for the Best Sports Reporting Award by E. P. Dutton. Woodward later told author Roger Kahn that Frick was his legitimate source, and Cardinals writer Warren Corbett denied that they were planning to attack; Frick later told author Roger Kahn that the story "never happened"; writer Warren Corbett said that Frick's address "never happened." Despite this, Robinson's study resulted in him receiving more attention from the sports media. And, of course, The Sporting News, a newspaper that had embraced the color line, came out against the possibility of a strike.

Robinson nevertheless became the object of a tumultuous physical match by opponents (particularly the Cardinals). Enos Slaughter's legs had a seven-inch gash in his leg at one point. Robinson was "nigger" from his dugout on April 22, 1947, and Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and boss Ben Chapman called him "go back to the cotton fields" during a game between the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. Chapman "did more to unite the Dodgers than anyone else," Rickey said later. He solidified and united thirty guys as he poured out a line of unconscionable abuse."

Robinson, on the other hand, received a lot of support from many major league players. As the first opposing player to wish him well, Robinson named Lee "Jeep" Handley, who was with the Phillies at the time. Pee Wee Reese, a Dodgers teammate, once rallied in Robinson's defense with the quip, "You can hate a man for a variety of reasons." Color is not one of them. Reese is said to have clutched Robinson in reaction to fans who yelled racial insults at Robinson during a Boston or Cincinnati game. Reese is shown with his arm around Robinson in a sculpture by sculptor William Behrends, which was unveiled at KeySpan Park on November 1, 2005. Hank Greenberg, a Jewish baseball player who had to deal with ethnic epithets throughout his career, has also influenced Robinson. Following an incident where Greenberg collided with Robinson at first base, Robinson "whispered a few words into Robinson's ear," Robinson later described as "words of encouragement." Greenberg had been urged to beat his opponents by defeating them in games. As the two talked to one another via telephone throughout the season, Robinson continued to communicate regularly with Larry Doby, who suffered with his own struggles since being the first black player in the American League with the Cleveland Indians.

Robinson played in 151 games for the Dodgers this season, with a batting average of.297, an on-base percentage of.383, and a.427 slugging percentage. He had 175 runs (scoring 125 runs), including 31 doubles, 5 triples, and 12 home runs, bringing in 48 runs for the year. Robinson led the league in sacrifice hits with 28, 28, as well as in stolen bases with 29. His cumulative success earned him the inaugural Major League Rookie of the Year Award (separate National and American League Rookie of the Year awards were not given until 1949).

Robinson took over second base in the National League for the second year in the position, marginally behind Stanky) following Stanky's move to the Boston Braves in March 1948. Robinson had a batting average of.296 and 22 stolen bases for the season. He hit the St. Louis Cardinals 12–7 for the cycle, a triple, a double, and a single in the same game. In late August 1948, the Dodgers briefly climbed to first place in the National League, but they ultimately finished third as the Braves went on to win the league championship and lose to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.

In 1948, Robinson's racial pressure eased as a slew of other black players joined the major leagues. Larry Doby (who broke the colour barrier in the American League just 11 weeks after Robinson) and Satchel Paige played for the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers had three other black players besides Robinson. He signed a $12,500 (equivalent to $140,980 today) with the Dodgers in February 1948, which was less than Robinson earned in the offseason from a vaint baseball tour, where he answered pre-set baseball questions and a speaking tour of the South. He underwent right ankle surgery during the tours. Robinson weighed in at 30 pounds (14 kg) overweight during off-season training because of his off-season sports. He gained the weight during training camp, but dieting left him weak at the plate. Jackie Robinson, Wendell Smith's memoir, was published in 1948. My Own Story, by Wendell Smith.

Robinson turned to Hall of Famer George Sisler, who was assisting the Dodgers in the spring of 1949, for batting assistance. Robinson spent hours at a batting tee, learning to hit the ball to right field at Sisler's suggestion. Robinson was taught by Sisler to anticipate a fastball, based on the belief that adjusting to a slower curveball will be simpler. "Sisler showed me how to avoid lunging and how to track my swing until the last fraction of a second," Robinson said. Robinson's tutelage helped him improve his batting average from.296 in 1948 to.342 in 1949. Robinson played 37 bases this season, his second highest batting average, and he took second place in the league for both doubles and triples with 124 runs scored. Robinson received the Most Valuable Player Award for the National League for his efforts. Robinson was named as the starting second baseman for the 1949 All-Star Game, the first All-Star Game to feature black players.

"Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" Buddy Johnson's song about Robinson. "Count Basie's latest iteration has ranked at number 13 on the charts; Count Basie produced a popular version." In the 1949 World Series, the Dodgers won the National League pennant but lost in five games to the New York Yankees.

Robinson's summer 1949 brought an unnecessary distraction. He was called to appear before the UnAmerican Activities Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in July about remarks made by black actor and actor Paul Robeson in April. Robinson was reluctant to testify, but he eventually agreed to do so, afraid that if his career were to suffer if he did not, it would jeopardize his career.

Robinson led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman with 133. His salary at the time was the highest since any Dodger had been paid: $35,000 ($394,198) in 2021 dollars). He finished the year with 99 runs, a.328 batting average, and 12 stolen bases. The year saw the release of The Jackie Robinson Story, a film biography of Robinson's life, where Robinson played himself, and actress Ruby Dee played Rachel "Rae" Robinson. (Isum) Robinson When the film's developers refused to comply with demands from two Hollywood studios that the film contain scenes of Robinson being tutored in baseball by a white man, it had been postponed for several years. Robinson, "doing the rare thing of being in the picture's leading role," the New York Times wrote, "displaying a calmness and composure that may be envied by many a Hollywood celebrity."

Robinson's Hollywood exploits, on the other hand, did not go well with Dodger co-owner Walter O'Malley, who referred to Robinson as "Rickey's prima donna." Rickey's deal as the Dodgers' president ended in late 1950. Rickey pulled out his one-quarter financial interest in the team, leaving O'Malley in complete control of the franchise, amid a constant clashes with O'Malley and with no intention of being re-appointed as President of the Dodgers. Rickey became the Pittsburgh Pirates' general manager shortly after. Robinson, who looked at the turn of events, was dissatisfied with the situation and wrote a loving letter to Rickey, who regarded him as a father figure, stating, "Regardless of what happens to me in the future, it all depends on what you've achieved and, believe me, I love it."

Robinson was apparently given the position of head coach of the Montreal Royals before the 1951 season, but it was not until Robinson's playing career that Robinson was active. In the Montreal Standard, O'Malley said, "Jackie told me that he'd be both excited and proud to accept this managerial role"—although sources disagreed on whether a position was ever open.

Robinson led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman for the second year in a row, winning by 137. He also kept the Dodgers in contention for the 1951 pennant. He had a hit to tie the game and then hit a home run in the 14th inning, which was the winning margin. This culminated in a best-of-three playoff series against the New York Giants, a crosstown rival.

Despite Robinson's ferocious home run, the Dodgers lost the pennant on October 3, 1951, also known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World'. Robinson, who was about to be dismissed, musedly following Thomson's feet to ensure he touched all the bases. Vin Scully, a Dodgers sportscaster, later said that the incident revealed "how much of a competitor Robinson was." He ended the season with 106 runs scored, a batting average of.335, and 25 stolen bases.

In 1952, Robinson had what seemed to be an average year for him. He ended the year with 104 runs, a.308 batting average, and 24 stolen bases. He did, however, have a career-high on-base percentage of.436 percent. The Dodgers improved on their results from the year before winning the National League pennant before losing the 1952 World Series to the New York Yankees in seven games. Robinson questioned the Yankees' general manager, George Weiss, on his team's racial history, which had yet to sign a black player. "If there was one mistake in Jackie, it was the normal one," sportswriter Dick Young, who Robinson had described as a "giant." He said that everything unpleasant that happened to him was because of his blackness." Robinson, who was an everyday starter at second base last year, was the case in 1952. Robinson continued to play in first, second, and third bases, as well as in the outfield, with Jim Gilliam, another black player, taking over regular second base duties. Robinson's attentions began to shift toward the possibility of coaching a major league team. Commissioner Happy Chandler had hoped to gain experience by working in the Puerto Rican Winter League, but the request was denied by New York Post.

Robinson had 109 runs, a.329 batting average, and 17 steals in 1953, leading the Dodgers to their second National League pennant (and the Yankees' second in six games). Robinson's continuing success sparked a string of death threats. However, he was not dissuaded from speaking out openly about racial injustices. He served as editor for Our Sports magazine, a periodical newspaper focusing on Negro sports; the magazine also featured an essay by Robinson's old friend Joe Louis on golf course segregation. Robinson also sluggishly sluggish hotels and restaurants that supported the Dodger brand; a number of these establishments have merged as a result, including the five-star Chase Park Hotel in St. Louis, which included the five-star Chase Park Hotel.

Robinson had 62 runs scored, a.311 batting average, and 7 steals in 1954. On June 17, he had two home runs and two doubles, his best day at the plate was on June 17. Robinson won his first championship with the Dodgers over the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series. Although the team had a glorious run, 1955 was the worst year of Robinson's individual career. He hit.256 and stole only 12 bases. Robinson was tested both in the outfield and as a third baseman for the Dodgers, who were also looking for a third baseman because Gilliam was established at second base. Robinson, who was then 36 years old, played 49 games and did not participate in Game 7 of the World Series. Robinson was unable to participate in the game because manager Walter Alston chose Gilliam at second base and Don Hoak at third base. Don Newcombe of the Dodgers became the first black major league pitcher to win 20 games in a year during the 1998 season.

Robinson had 61 runs, a.275 batting average, and 12 steals in 1956. By then, he had begun to exhibit the effects of diabetes and lost interest in the prospect of playing or managing professional baseball. Robinson finished his major league career when he crashed out in Game 7 of the 1956 World Series. Robinson was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $35,000 (equal to $348,843 today). Robinson, however, was never completed; unbeknownst to the Dodgers, Robinson had already agreed with Chockful o'Nuts' president to quit baseball and become an executive with the organization. Since Robinson had sold exclusive rights to any retirement tale to Look magazine two years ago, his decision was revealed by the magazine rather than through the Dodgers' organization.

Source

After a life-size bronze of a baseball legend was stolen and destroyed, a man was charged with the robbery of Jackie Robinson's statue in Kansas

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 13, 2024
On Tuesday, a man was charged with the robbery of a statue depicting pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson, but police said they did not murder out of jealousy but rather financial gain. Robinson, the life-size bronze, who was born in 1947 and became the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball, was looted from a Wichita, Kansas park in January, and portions of it were later discovered burned and in a garbage can. Only the statue's feet were left at McAdams Park, where roughly 600 kids play in a youth baseball league called League 42, which is named after Robinson's uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Since brazen robbers in Kansas cut it off the ankles and destroyed it last week, donations to restore the burnt Jackie Robinson statue have surpassed $145,000 on baseball legend's birthday

www.dailymail.co.uk, February 1, 2024
On Wednesday, donations poured in to restore Jackie Robinson's ruined statue on what would have been the first player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier. Major League Baseball has pledged his assistance. And the figure, which is much more than the estimated $75,000 value of the bronze statue that was removed from its base last week at a park in Wichita, Kansas, has soared thanks to just one online fundraiser, which is much more than the estimated $75,000 estimate. The perpetrators are being investigated by investigators. At McAdams Park, where 600 children play in a youth baseball league named after Robinson's uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major leagues' color barrier in 1947. Only the statue's feet were left standing.

After brazen robbery recovered it from a youth training center in Kansas, Jackie Robinson's statue was found burned and destroyed beyond repair

www.dailymail.co.uk, January 30, 2024
Jackie Robinson's statue, which was stolen from a Kansas youth training center last Thursday, was found smashed and ruined beyond repair on Tuesday morning. The remains were discovered in Garvey Park, seven miles south of McAdams Park, where the statue stood until last week and where the League 42 Foundation supports youth baseball. Around 8.40 a.m. Tuesday morning, local police responded to a warning of a garbage can fire around 8.40 a.m. When it was no longer an active fire, police determined portions of the monument, with Wichita Fire Department public information officer Andrew Ford saying that it is 'not salvageable at this time.'