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Jackie Robinson

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The grandson of a slave, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia; he was the youngest of five children. Jackie grew up very poor, but little did he know that his athletic ability would open the doors for his future. After his father deserted the family when Jackie was six months old, his mother, Mallie Robinson, moved the family to California in search of work. California also subjected blacks to segregation at that time, but to less of a degree than in the Deep South. The young Jackie defused his anger over this prejudice by immersing himself in sports. He displayed extraordinary athletic skills in high school, excelling at football, basketball, baseball, and track. After helping Pasadena Junior College …show more content…

Pitchers often threw the ball directly at Robinson, base runners tried to spike him, and he was subjected to a steady stream of racial insults. He received hate mail, death threats, and even warnings that his baby boy would be kidnapped. Through it all, Robinson held his tongue in deference to Rickey's wishes. Robinson let his playing do the talking, and before long he was known as one of the most exciting players in baseball. Soon fans both black and white were filling ballparks to see him in action, and the Dodgers set new attendance records. Most of his fellow teammates fully supported him as they became convinced of Robinson's value to the club. The Dodgers won the pennant in 1947 and Jackie, at the age of twenty eight, was named Rookie of the Year, an award that would be named after him in 1987. In 1949, Robinson moved to second base and won the National League's Most Valuable Player award while leading the Dodgers to the National League title. He led the league in stolen bases with thirty seven and finished on top with a .342 batting average. He also played in the first All-Star game alongside Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. By this time Robinson was famous throughout the world. He had a string of six consecutive seasons batting over .300 and became renowned for his daring steals of home. In 1951, he again led the league with a .338 batting average. In the last game of the season the Dodgers were tied against

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