Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson
On April 15, 1947, on the infield dirt of old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, Jackie Robinson changed sports and America forever, as he became the first “negro” to play major league baseball.   It was opening day and 26,623 fans were in the stands to witness, as the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 5-3, but the real story of the game wasn’t found in the box score, the real story was the birth of an American hero. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hero as “someone who shows great courage” and “is admired for his achievements.” It took tremendous courage for Jackie Robinson to run onto that field that day, and to this day, his achievements are still honored and celebrated.
      When Jackie Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1945, African–Americans did not play Major League Baseball. They could only play in the Negro American League where they were not treated as well as players in Major League Baseball and did not earn much money. Jackie had a solid season with the Monarchs and was chosen by Branch Rickey to become the first black player to play baseball in Major League Baseball in 1947. When this happened, there was still segregation between black people and white people, and black people were not allowed to eat in many restaurants or stay in most hotels. Many people did not want to associate with “negros” and they did not want them involved in sports. When Branch Rickey signed Robinson, Rickey said, “Jackie, we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owners, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans will be hostile.” Rickey was right; the environment was horrible. Robinson endured racial slurs and taunting everywhere the Dodgers played during the first season, even death threats while playing in Cincinnati. The Philadelphia Phillies were so abusive the Robinson later said, “It brought me nearer to cracking up than I had ever been.” Early in the...