What Year Did Jackie Robinson Play Baseball?

Did you know that Jackie Robinson played baseball in 1947? He was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues!

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, worked mostly as a sharecropper, while his mother, Mallie, worked as a domestic servant. When Jackie was six years old, his father left the family, and his mother took the children to live with her parents in Pasadena, California. Jackie’s grandfather, John Wesley Robinson, was a Baptist minister, and his grandmother, Amanda Russell Robinson, was a homemaker.

Early life

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, into a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children born to Mallie (McGriff) and Jerry Robinson, after siblings Edgar, Frank, Matthew, and Machelle. His middle name was in honor of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who died 25 days before Robinson was born. After Robinson’s father left the family in 1920, they moved to Pasadena, California. The extended Robinson family established itself on a residential plot containing several small houses at 121 Pepper Street in Pasadena. Robinson’s mother worked various odd jobs to support the family. Growing up in relative poverty, Jack Jr. and his sibling were expected to work at an early age. His brother Mack became a journeyman house painter; Jackie worked various odd jobs, including shoveling snow and picking crops. As a youngster he had no formal education beyond elementary school; however he did attend Pasadena Junior College for one semester where he played football and baseball on the college’s intercollegiate teams.

College years

Robinson played basketball, football, and track at UCLA. In the spring of 1940, he entered a race on campus. As he crossed the finish line, Robinson stumbled and was beaten by Ponia Tommie, a Pasadena Junior College student. UCLA track coach Eli Rucka took an interest in Robinson after the loss, and Robinson soon joined the track team. Rucka encouraged him to try out for other sports at UCLA as well.

In 1941, Robinson was one of only four sophomores on the varsity football team. He played quarterback and running back. That year, he also scored nine touchdowns and was named to the All-Southwest Conference team. He was also one of the top performers on the track team, becoming the Southwest Conference champion in both the 220-yard dash (21.1 seconds) and the long jump (24 feet 3 inches).

Military service

Robinson was drafted into the United States Army in 1942. As a second Lieutenant in 1944, he was court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of a segregated Army bus. Although Robinson was cleared of all charges, the incident increased tensions between him and fellow soldiers, some of whom felt that he was receiving preferential treatment from his superiors. In July 1944, Robinson’s military career came to an abrupt end when he was honorably discharged after an army psychiatrist diagnosed him with a “borderline personality disorder”.

Jackie Robinson’s Career

Jackie Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues, he was met with a lot of racism and hate.

Minor leagues

Robinson began his professional career in 1945 as a member of the Montreal Royals, the top farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1946, he was promoted to the Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson played for ten seasons with the Dodgers, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1947 and National League Most Valuable Player awards in 1949 and 1952. His from-the-dugout contributions helped lead the Dodgers to six World Series appearances and their first championship in 1955. Following his retirement from playing baseball in 1957, Robinson worked as a business executive. He also became active in politics and worked on several civil rights causes. Despite his initial objections to(“What Year Did Jackie Robinson Play Baseball?”) making public his views against increasing militancy among some young African Americans during the early 1960s, he supported Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Robinson’s number 42 was retired by every MLB team on April 15, 1997—the 50th anniversary of his debut into major league baseball—and he was posthumously inducted into both the Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB’s all-time team.

Major leagues

Jackie Robinson’s Major League career began in 1947, when he was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played for ten seasons with the Dodgers, before retiring in 1956. During his Major League career, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year award, the Most Valuable Player award, and was selected for six All-Star teams.

Post-playing career

After his retirement from baseball, Robinson devoted himself to working for civil rights, business opportunities for minorities, and making a better life for young people. He served on the board of directors for several organizations including the NAACP, Freedom National Bank, and the Passage Theater Company. In addition to his work with these groups, Robinson also became active in politics. In 1964 he campaigned for Lyndon B. Johnson and in 1966 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

During his final years, Robinson continued to battle diabetes and heart trouble. In 1972 he underwent open-heart surgery and in October of that year he had his right leg amputated below the knee due to circulation problems. Jackie Robinson died on October 24, 1972, in Stamford, Connecticut. He was just 53 years old.

The Impact of Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. He broke the color barrier in 1947. He was an excellent player and helped the Brooklyn Dodgers win the World Series that year. He was named Rookie of the Year and went on to have a successful career. Jackie Robinson made a huge impact on the civil rights movement. He was a role model for African Americans and showed that anything is possible if you work hard enough.

On baseball

Robinson’s impact on baseball was immediate and profound. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era, breaking baseball’s color line. He went on to play for 10 seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, helping them to win six National League pennants and one World Series championship. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1947, National League MVP in 1949, and a World Series hero in 1955. In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first African American player to be so honored.

But Robinson’s impact extended far beyond his own accomplishments on the field. His courage and skill in breaking baseball’s color line changed the game—and America—forever. His example inspired other athletes (including Muhammed Ali and Tiger Woods) to follow in his footsteps and challenge racial barriers in their respective sports. And his legacy continues to resonate today, more than 50 years after his retirement from baseball.

On society

Jackie Robinson’s MLB career began in 1947, when he became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. His career was short-lived, but his impact on society was vast and long-lasting. In honor of what would have been Robinson’s 100th birthday, let’s take a look at some of the ways he changed the game of baseball and the world beyond it.

For starters, Robinson ended baseball’s color line, which had barred black players from the sport for over 50 years. His historic debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers helped to Integration Era in the United States, as it was one of the first major instances of desegregation in American society. In addition, Robinson was an excellent player, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1947 and becoming a six-time All-Star throughout his 10-year career. He even won a World Series title with the Dodgers in 1955.

Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Jackie Robinson also used his platform to speak out against racial injustice and fight for social change. He was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement and an advocate for racial equality long before it was popular or socially acceptable to do so. In 1972, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — America’s highest civilian honor — for his significant contributions to American society.

It’s safe to say that Jackie Robinson left a lasting legacy both on and off the field. Thanks to him, baseball is now truly America’s pastime — open and accessible to everyone, no matter their background or skin color. His impact continues to be felt today, both in baseball and in society as a whole.