How Jackie Robinson Changed Baseball: The Commonlit Answer Key

How Jackie Robinson Changed Baseball: The Commonlit Answer Key – Read a short answer key about how Jackie Robinson changed baseball.

Jackie Robinson’s Life

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five children. His father, Jerry, was a sharecropper and his mother, Mallie, was a maid. Robinson’s family was very poor.

Born into poverty

Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. He was the youngest of five children. As a child, he worked in the fields with his parents. When Jackie was only six years old, his father left the family. His mother did her best to support the family, but times were hard. The family often went without food. They moved from house to house and finally ended up living in a shack. Jackie spent hours each day dreaming of a better life.

Experiences with racism

Throughout his life, Jackie Robinson experienced firsthand the racism that was prevalent in the United States. He was born in 1919, just four years after slavery was abolished, and grew up in a family with a strong belief in equality for all.

Robinson’s brother Mack served in the army during World War II, and Jackie followed him into service after graduating from high school. While training at an army base in Georgia, Robinson was accused of breaking an off-limits sign and was placed under arrest. He was later court-martialed, but the charges were eventually dropped.

In 1945, Robinson became the first African American to play baseball in the Negro Leagues. He joined the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1947 and became the first black player in Major League Baseball (MLB) the following year.

As he continued to excel on the field, Robinson faced a great deal of hate and hostility from both fans and other players. In one incident, Cincinnati Reds player Ewell Blackwell threatened to kill Robinson if he continued to steal bases. Despite the challenges, Robinson persevered and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors in 1947. He was also named National League MVP in 1949.

The integration of MLB continued slowly over the next few years, but by 1959 every team had at least one black player on their roster. In 1997, Major League Baseball established April 15th as “Jackie Robinson Day” to commemorate his contributions to the game.

Joins the military

In 1942, Robinson was drafted into the army and assigned to a cavalry unit in Ft. Hood, Texas. The army was still segregated, and Robinson encountered racial discrimination from both his superior officers and fellow soldiers. In 1944, Robinson was transferred to a newly-desegregated military police unit in Ft. Riley, Kansas. There, he was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a military bus. He was court-martialed, but the charges were later dropped.

Robinson’s Career

Jackie Robinson is widely recognized as one of the most significant baseball players of all time. He was the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Robinson’s career in baseball changed the game forever, and his legacy continues to inspire athletes and fans today.

Signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers

In 1945, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to sign a contract with a Major League Baseball team. The Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a spot on their minor league team, the Montreal Royals. After just one season with the Royals, Robinson was called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he made his major league debut on April 15, 1947.

Breaks the color barrier

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in professional baseball by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson’s signing with the Dodgers ended 60 years of segregation in professional baseball. He went on to become one of the greatest players in MLB history.

Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. He was one of nine children born to a sharecropper family. When Robinson was six years old, his father left the family and his mother took them to Pasadena, California, to live with her sister and brother-in-law.

As a young man, Robinson excelled at sports. He played football, basketball, and track at Pasadena Junior College before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he became the school’s first African American athlete in any sport.

Robinson’s professional career began in 1945 when he joined the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs. The following year, he was signed by Dodger’s president Branch Rickey to play for the Montreal Royals, a minor league team affiliated with the Dodgers. In 1947, Rickey called Robinson up to the major leagues.

Robinson faced racism and death threats from fans and opposing players throughout his career. He endured these challenges with grace and determination, becoming one of MLB’s most popular players. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1947 and National League MVP in 1949. He helped lead the Dodgers to six World Series appearances and one world championship during his 10-year career with the team.

After retiring from baseball in 1957, Robinson became active in business and politics. He died of a heart attack on October 24, 1972, at age 53.

Experiences more racism

As he moved up through the ranks of baseball, Jackie Robinson faced racism at every level. In the minors, he was taunted with racial epithets and even had his hotel room vandalized. When he was called up to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the abuse continued. Dodger manager Leo Durocher was one of the few people in baseball who publicly supported Robinson, and he frequently had to defend his decision to start Robinson over more experienced players.

The Impact of Robinson

Jackie Robinson’s impact on baseball was both evident and long-lasting. As the first African American to play in the Major Leagues, he broke the color barrier in baseball. He was an excellent player and an All-Star for six consecutive seasons. His contributions to the game went beyond his performance on the field, as he also helped to change the way people thought about race and baseball.

Changed the way America viewed baseball

Robinson changed the way America viewed baseball. He was the first black player in the Major Leagues, and he proved that black players could compete with white players. He was also a talented player, who helped the Brooklyn Dodgers win the World Series in 1955. After he retired from baseball, he became a civil rights activist.

Inspired other black athletes

One of the most significant impacts that Jackie Robinson had was on other black athletes. Before Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, many people believed that black athletes were not as good as white athletes. But Robinson proved them wrong.

Robinson’s success inspired other black athletes to pursue their dreams, even in the face of discrimination. For example, in 1947, a year after Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larry Doby became the first black player in the American League. Doby went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Indians.

In 1950, another black player, Curt Flood, joined the St. Louis Cardinals. Flood became one of the best outfielders in baseball history. But he is most remembered for his lawsuit against Major League Baseball. Flood’s case helped lead to the creation of free agency in baseball, which allows players to choose which team they want to play for.

Thanks to Jackie Robinson, black athletes like Larry Doby and Curt Flood were able to pursue their dreams and make a lasting impact on baseball and society.

Helped advance the Civil Rights Movement

Robinson’s accomplishments on the field helped advance the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was an excellent role model for other African Americans who were struggling to achieve equality. He also became a powerful voice for social change, speaking out against racism and injustice wherever he saw it. Thanks to Robinson’s courage and determination, baseball became a more integrated sport, and African Americans gradually began to gain greater equality and opportunity in society as a whole.