Jackie Robinson, as we all know, is the man that broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. We’ve all heard of his courage in taking the field amidst death threats. We’ve all heard the story of how Pee Wee Reese quieted the Cincinnati fans who were screaming racial epithets at Robinson by putting his arm around Jackie in a show of support. We all know that Jackie was a great ballplayer, winning the first MLB Rookie of the Year, playing on 6 All-Star teams, played 10 years with the Dodgers, etc etc.
Not many know that Jackie Robinson, and to a lesser extent Branch Rickey, GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers, were the first champions of what would become the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
“Jackie Robinson served in the United States Army from 1942-1944 as a second lieutenant, and his actions during his military service not only presaged his transgression of the color line in baseball, but may also have influenced, however indirectly, President Harry S. Truman’s decision to integrate U.S. Armed forces in 1948. As the finding aid to the Jackie Robinson Papers at the Library of Congress succinctly notes, the archive includes:
“[P]ersonnel records from Robinson's military service, including court-martial charges of insubordination resulting from his refusal to obey an order to move to the back of a segregated military bus in Texas. A military jury acquitted Robinson, and shortly thereafter, he received an honorable discharge.”
Jackie thus revealed himself to be a man of principle and courage years before he entered the public eye. His refusal to submit to Jim Crow laws while in the military pre-date, by more than a decade, a similar, but much more widely-known “stance” by Rosa Parks, who famously refused to give up her seat on a public bus in 1955.” source – wikipedia.com
Looks to me like Jackie Robinson broke into the Civil Rights movement first, too. Certainly baseball, this great and uniquely American game, planted the seed in people’s heads that talent is color blind, that the color of your skin is not and should never be a factor in a meritocracy.
This coming Sunday marks the 60th Anniversary of Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Major League Baseball has allowed players from all MLB Clubs to wear number 42 in honor of Robinson. Take a moment to think about what great things he’s done for this game and this nation.
And for the stat hounds:
|
SEASON |
|
TEAM |
|
G |
|
|
AB |
|
R |
|
H |
|
2B |
|
3B |
|
HR |
|
RBI |
|
TB |
|
BB |
|
SO |
|
SB |
|
CS |
|
OBP |
|
SLG |
|
AVG |
1947 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
151 |
590 |
125 |
175 |
31 |
5 |
12 |
48 |
252 |
74 |
36 |
29 |
--- |
.368 |
.427 |
.297 |
1948 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
147 |
574 |
108 |
170 |
38 |
8 |
12 |
85 |
260 |
57 |
37 |
22 |
--- |
.362 |
.453 |
.296 |
1949 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
156 |
593 |
122 |
203 |
38 |
12 |
16 |
124 |
313 |
86 |
27 |
37 |
--- |
.422 |
.528 |
.342 |
1950 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
144 |
518 |
99 |
170 |
39 |
4 |
14 |
81 |
259 |
80 |
24 |
12 |
--- |
.416 |
.500 |
.328 |
1951 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
153 |
548 |
106 |
185 |
33 |
7 |
19 |
88 |
289 |
79 |
27 |
25 |
8 |
.425 |
.527 |
.338 |
1952 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
149 |
510 |
104 |
157 |
17 |
3 |
19 |
75 |
237 |
106 |
40 |
24 |
7 |
.436 |
.465 |
.308 |
1953 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
136 |
484 |
109 |
159 |
34 |
7 |
12 |
95 |
243 |
74 |
30 |
17 |
4 |
.418 |
.502 |
.329 |
1954 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
124 |
386 |
62 |
120 |
22 |
4 |
15 |
59 |
195 |
63 |
20 |
7 |
3 |
.413 |
.505 |
.311 |
1955 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
105 |
317 |
51 |
81 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
36 |
115 |
61 |
18 |
12 |
3 |
.378 |
.363 |
.256 |
1956 |
Brooklyn Dodgers |
117 |
357 |
61 |
98 |
15 |
2 |
10 |
43 |
147 |
60 |
32 |
12 |
5 |
.382 |
.412 |
.275 |
|
| Career Totals |
1382 |
|
4877 |
947 |
1518 |
273 |
54 |
137 |
734 |
2310 |
740 |
291 |
197 |
--- |
.403 |
.474 |
.311 |
