Jackie Robinson Research Paper
English Skills 1
May 16, 2007
The Black Messiah of Baseball
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. Robinson grew up in an area of poverty, and he also became affiliated with a neighborhood gang in his youth. (2) He was persuaded by his friend named Carl Anderson to abandon the gang. In 1935, Robinson enrolled into John Muir High School. There he lettered in four different sport teams. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a member of the tennis team and the track and field squad. After graduating from John Muir High School, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College and played …show more content…
On January 25, 1938, he was arrested for questionable reasons and sentenced to probation. In 1938, Robinson was elected to the All-Southland Junior College baseball team. On February 4, 1939, he played his last basketball game at Pasadena Junior College. After leaving Pasadena Junior College, Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to letter in four sports, which was baseball, basketball, football, and track. He withdrew from the University for financial reasons in 1941. (3) Robinson then went on to play football for the semi-professional, racially integrated Honolulu Bears. (5) He returned shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was drafted into the military after the following year. …show more content…
He was verbally harassed by teammates and members of the opposing team. Some players threatened that they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. They ended the threats when the manager informed those players that they were welcome to find employment elsewhere.
In Jackie's first season he won the first-ever Rookie of the Year award. Two years later he won the Most Valuable Player award in the National League. He won his only championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series in 1955. After the 1956 season, Robinson was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $30,000 cash. Although Robinson was welcome to play for the Dodgers, he did not want to play for them. (1) Robinson retired at the age of 37. Robinson became a vice-president for the Chock Full O'Nuts Corporation. Also, he served on the board of the NAACP until 1967. Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He was the first African-American to be honored. The Dodgers retired his uniform number 42. In 1971, Jackie's eldest son, Jackie Jr., was killed in an automobile accident. Jackie suffered from diabetes, virtually went blind, and suffered heart problems. He died from heart problems and diabetes on October 24,
May 16, 2007
The Black Messiah of Baseball
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. Robinson grew up in an area of poverty, and he also became affiliated with a neighborhood gang in his youth. (2) He was persuaded by his friend named Carl Anderson to abandon the gang. In 1935, Robinson enrolled into John Muir High School. There he lettered in four different sport teams. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a member of the tennis team and the track and field squad. After graduating from John Muir High School, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College and played …show more content…
On January 25, 1938, he was arrested for questionable reasons and sentenced to probation. In 1938, Robinson was elected to the All-Southland Junior College baseball team. On February 4, 1939, he played his last basketball game at Pasadena Junior College. After leaving Pasadena Junior College, Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to letter in four sports, which was baseball, basketball, football, and track. He withdrew from the University for financial reasons in 1941. (3) Robinson then went on to play football for the semi-professional, racially integrated Honolulu Bears. (5) He returned shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was drafted into the military after the following year. …show more content…
He was verbally harassed by teammates and members of the opposing team. Some players threatened that they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. They ended the threats when the manager informed those players that they were welcome to find employment elsewhere.
In Jackie's first season he won the first-ever Rookie of the Year award. Two years later he won the Most Valuable Player award in the National League. He won his only championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series in 1955. After the 1956 season, Robinson was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $30,000 cash. Although Robinson was welcome to play for the Dodgers, he did not want to play for them. (1) Robinson retired at the age of 37. Robinson became a vice-president for the Chock Full O'Nuts Corporation. Also, he served on the board of the NAACP until 1967. Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He was the first African-American to be honored. The Dodgers retired his uniform number 42. In 1971, Jackie's eldest son, Jackie Jr., was killed in an automobile accident. Jackie suffered from diabetes, virtually went blind, and suffered heart problems. He died from heart problems and diabetes on October 24,