Jackie Robinson

This article is about baseball player Jackie Robinson . An article about the German singer can be found under Gitta Walther .

Jackie Robinson
Robinson in the Brooklyn Dodgers Jersey (1954)
Second baseman
Born: January 31, 1919 Cairo , Georgia , United States
Died on: October 24, 1972 Stamford , Connecticut , United States
Suggested: Right	Threw: Right
Debut in Major League Baseball
April 15,  1947  with the  Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB assignment
October 10,  1956  with the Brooklyn Dodgers
MLB statistics (until end of career)
Batting average	.311
Hits	1,518
Home runs	137
RBI	734
Stolen Bases	197
Teams
Negro Leagues Kansas City Monarchs (1945) International League Montreal Royals (1946) Major League Baseball Brooklyn Dodgers ( 1947 - 1956 )
Awards
6 × MLB All-Star ( 1949 - 1954 ) Negro League All-Star 1945 1955 World Series winner MLB Rookie of the Year 1947 NL MVP 1949 The shirt number 42 is no longer given by any MLB team Major League Baseball All-Century Team
member of
Baseball Hall of Fame
Recorded	1962
Quota	77.5%

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (born January 31, 1919 in Cairo , Georgia , † October 24, 1972 in Stamford , Connecticut ) was an American baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played mostly as a second baseman .

Jackie Robinson made sporting history in the Brooklyn Dodgers jersey when he played on April 15, 1947 as the first black player since 1884 on a Major League team. He was previously active in the Negro Leagues . Robinson has thus become a symbol of the racial integration of American professional sport and American society.

In 1962 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame . His shirt number 42 has not been given to any other player in the entire Major League since 1997. Robinson is the only player who is thus honored in this way on all teams. Since 2004, the MLB has celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th every year. All players in the entire major league wear the number 42 on this occasion.

Neil Bogart produced 1981 Broadway - Musical entitled The First , which was based on Robinson's life story.

In 2013, at 42 - The True Tale of a Sports Legend, a biopic was released. The production was directed by Brian Helgeland . Chadwick Boseman slipped into the role of Robinson .

Before the major league

Jackie Robinson in the Kansas City Royals jersey in 1945

Robinson was born in Cairo , Georgia in 1919 . After his father left the family, he moved with his mother and siblings to Pasadena , California in 1920 . He later attended the University of California , Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was the UCLA's first student-athlete to win Bruins Varsity Letters in four different sports ( football , basketball , baseball and athletics ). He played with Kenny Washington Football, who would later become one of the first black players in the National Football League (NFL) since the 1930s. Robinson also met his future wife at UCLA. His brother Mack Robinson won Olympic silver over 200 m behind Jesse Owens in Berlin in 1936 .

After leaving UCLA in his senior year during World War II , he volunteered for the U.S. Army . He was trained in the segregated 761st Tank Battalion . After his first attempt to enroll in the officers' school was rejected, he fought for admission and was finally admitted. He graduated from school as a second lieutenant ( Unterleutnant , corresponds to the lieutenant in the Bundeswehr ). During his training at Fort Hood , Texas , he refused to drive in the back of the bus as required for blacks. He was tried in a military tribunal for disobedience and was never transferred to Europe with the rest of his unit. In 1944 he was honorably discharged from the army after he was acquitted on all counts by the court martial.

From 1944 he played baseball in the Negro American League for the Kansas City Monarchs , where he was discovered by Clyde Sukeforth , a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers .

Time with the Dodgers

The general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey , had a plan in the 1940s to sign the best players in the Negro Leagues . Although there was no official ban for black players, there was a so-called gentlemen's agreement between the operators of the league and the owners or managers of the clubs not to integrate blacks into the league. Thus, all previous attempts to sign blacks with a major league team were stopped, which is why Rickey acted in secret. He did not even reveal his plan to his scouts; he told them they were looking for players for a new black league that Rickey was about to start.

Robinson fell into the national spotlight when Rickey selected and signed him from his list of possible candidates. In 1946, Robinson was summoned by Rickey to the Montreal Royals , a minor league affiliate - a team in the lower league where major league teams mature their junior players - the Dodgers in Montreal , Quebec , Canada . While Robinson was exposed to racist hostility on some trips away to US cities , he received exuberant fan support in Montreal.

Robinson was a somewhat odd candidate to become the first black major league player in over 60 years. He was already 27 years old and was also known for his fiery temperament, which is why many considered his more relaxed, later teammate Roy Campanella to be better suited to withstand the insults to be expected. But Rickey purposely chose Robinson, knowing that Jackie's outspoken manner would pay off in the long run rather than Campanella's relative docility for her cause. However, to make the transition easier, Rickey asked Robinson to curb his temperament and bluntness for the first two years, and to moderate his natural response to the abuse. Robinson agreed, knowing full well what was at stake.

Robinson's debut for the Dodgers on April 15, 1947 at the age of 28 as first baseman was one of the most important events in baseball history and in the history of the American civil rights movement . Although he played at first base his entire first year, he spent most of his career as a second baseman . But he was also in many games at third base and in the outfield .

During his first season, the constant verbal abuse made Robinson almost lose his patience, not just once. Many Dodgers players initially opposed his presence, some of them, mostly Southern players led by Dixie Walker , threatening to strike rather than play alongside Robinson. However, the uprising was unceremoniously ended by the Dodgers' management by threatening these players not to renew their contracts or to sell them. Robinson was nevertheless supported by a few players, such as shortstop Pee Wee Reese (born in Kentucky ), who became one of his best comrades on the team. Not least because of this, the two formed a very effective team on the defensive. The Pittsburgh Pirates ' Hank Greenberg , the first major Jewish star in baseball to receive a lot of anti-Semitic abuse, also encouraged Robinson.

Throughout the season, Robinson faced tremendous racism, both from fans and opposing players. The Philadelphia Phillies , encouraged by manager Ben Chapman , were particularly abusive. In the April 22 game against the Dodgers, they kept mocking Robinson, calling him " nigger " and shouting at him from the bench to "go back to the jungle." Rickey would later recall that Chapman, more than anyone, helped unite the Dodgers by allowing these outrageous insults. The baseball commissioner Happy Chandler warned the Phillies, Robinson asked, however, to pose as a sign of reconciliation with Chapman for still images. Robinson did not refuse, but the following photo session was probably rather difficult for both participants.

In Robinson's first season, he earned a minimum salary of $ 5,000. He played 151 games, had a batting average of .297 and led the league in this category with 29 bases stolen .

Robinson received the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1949 . Not only did he contribute to the Dodgers' two Pennants (National League championships) in those two years, his dogged determination and determination kept Brooklyn in the running for the championship in 1950 and 1951. In 1955, although his career was clearly on the decline, Robinson led the Dodgers to their first and only World Series title in Brooklyn, in a thrilling seven-game final against city rivals New York Yankees .

Robinson's major league career was short. He entered the professional league at the age of 28 and was often plagued by injuries. However, in his prime, he was respected by every opposing team.

After the 1956 season, Robinson was sold to the New York Giants , who soon became the San Francisco Giants . But instead of switching to the Giants, he ended his professional career at the age of 37. The sale only added to his growing disenchantment with the Dodgers and specifically Walter O'Malley , who had replaced Rickey as general manager, and manager Walter Alston .

Robinson was an exceptionally talented and disciplined player; he finished his career with a batting average of .311 and significantly more walks ( if the pitcher does not hit the strike zone four times , then the batter may go to first base without a fight ) than strikeouts . He played extremely well in various defensive positions and was the most aggressive and successful baserunner of his era - he was one of the few players who regularly stole home base , which he did at least 19 times. Robinson is often cited as one of the best players of his time. He was a combative and passionate sportsman in the truest sense of the word: he never gave up a game, even if his team was about to lose. In fact, he went so far as to make every effort not to be the last player on his team to be ejected. One of his most famous quotes was: “ I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. "(" I'm not interested in whether you like me or not. I just want you to respect me as a person. ")

Time after the Dodgers

Robinson ended his career on January 5, 1957. He wanted to be a manager or coach in the Major Leagues, but received no offers. Instead, he became vice president of Chock Full O'Nuts Corporation and served on the board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) until 1967 when he resigned due to the lack of youth within the movement.

In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame , the first year he could be elected. He thus became the first black man to receive this honor. On June 4, 1972, the Dodgers, who had since become the Los Angeles Dodgers , retired Jackie Robinson's jersey number 42 along with the numbers of Roy Campanella, 39, and Sandy Koufax, 32.

Robinson made his last public appearance on October 14, 1972, ten days before his death, before the second game of the World Series in Cincinnati . He took the chance to express his wish for a black team manager in Major League Baseball. That wish was fulfilled two years later when the Cleveland Indians ( American League ) made Frank Robinson (not related to Jackie Robinson) their manager after the 1974 season . At a press conference on his hiring as manager, Frank Robinson said he wished Jackie had seen that moment. In 1981, four years after Frank Robinson was fired by the Indians, he became the first black manager of the National League when he was hired by the San Francisco Giants. As of the current state (2005 season) five teams have black or Hispanic managers, including Frank Robinson, who is now with the Washington Nationals .

Robinson's final years were marked by tragedy: in 1971, his eldest son, Jackie Jr., was killed in a car accident. His diabetes , which plagued him even in middle age, made him nearly blind and contributed to his serious heart problems. Jackie Robinson died on October 24, 1972 in Stamford , Connecticut , and was buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn , New York City .

politics

Robinson was politically interested and generally a Republican supporter . In 1958 and 1962 he supported the successful candidacy of Nelson Rockefeller for the office of governor of New York. In 1960 he got involved in the presidential election and initially went into the primary campaign with the Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey , as he was very active in advocating equality for African Americans. After Humphrey's failure, he later met with two presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy . Robinson eventually sided with Nixon as he doubted Kennedy would be decisive enough on civil rights issues.

In 1964, he supported Governor Rockefeller as a Republican presidential candidate and left his post with the Full O'Nuts Corporation to join Rockefeller's campaign team. Rockefeller was defeated by Senator Barry Goldwater when the Republicans were nominated . Robinson described Goldwater's nomination as "the greatest disaster the Republican Party has ever seen". Finally, he publicly called for the re-election of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson . In the 1968 presidential election he was initially active again for Rockefeller, after which he again failed in the primary election, he finally spoke out in favor of Hubert Humphrey again. Although Robinson had previously been a supporter of Nixon, he rejected Nixon's swing to the right (see Southern Strategy ) as an appeal to subliminal racism. At Robinson's funeral, Rockefeller was one of the pallbearers, while President Nixon did not attend.

Posthumous honors

Jackie Robinson Memorial in Citi Field in New York

The US Post issued a special postage stamp in the "Black Heritage" series on August 2, 1982 in honor of Jackie Robinsons.

In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his major league debut, his jersey number 42 was retired from all major league baseball teams, so no player will ever wear that number again in his honor. Players who used this number until then could, however, keep the jersey number; the last player with the jersey number 42 was the longtime Closer to the New York Yankees , Mariano Rivera , who ended his career in the season-2013.

In May 2000 the asteroid (4319) Jackierobinson was named after him.

In 2004, Major League Baseball named April 15th “Jackie Robinson Day” in all major league ball parks.

On 29 October 2003 which gave Congress of the United States of America Jackie Robinson posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal , the highest award that can give the Congress. Robinson's widow accepted the award in a ceremony on March 2, 2005.

Since the 2007 season, players or entire teams have been allowed to wear jerseys with the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson on April 15, the day of his MLB debut. The jersey is thus "active" again for a game day.

During the last of his eight inauguration concerts at the new Brooklyn Arena, rapper Jay-Z held up a jersey with Robinson's name and the number 42 to commemorate the player and his accomplishments.

The following teams wore the number 42 on April 15, 2008 (along with 65 other individual players from the American and National League):

• New York Mets
• Washington Nationals
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Tampa Bay Rays (declared first to land on April 15th with the "42")
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Texas Rangers

Representation in film and television

Robinson portrayed himself in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950).

• John Lafayette played him on the 1978 ABC television special "A Home Run for Love".
• Andre Braugher played him in the 1990 television film The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson .
• Blair Underwood played him in the 1996 HBO TV movie Soul of the Game .

• Chadwick Boseman played him in 42 - The True Story of a Sports Legend .

Robinson was the subject of the 2016 documentary Jackie Robinson directed by Ken Burns . This was Jamie Foxx Robinson speaking .

In the feature film Malcolm X , Robinson's inclusion in the professional league is the subject of discussion of the main characters.

Web links

Commons : Jackie Robinson  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Wikiquote: Jackie Robinson  - Quotes

• Player information and statistics from MLB  or  ESPN  or  baseball reference  or  fangraphs  or  baseball reference (minor league) (English)
• Jackie Robinson in the Baseball Hall of Fame (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ MLB: Every April 15 to be Jackie Robinson Day , USA Today , April 4, 2004
2. ↑ Neil Bogart's death mourned by Industry , Billboard Magazine, May 22, 1982
3. ↑ cf. Othello Harris: The rise of black athletes in the USA. James Riordan , Arnd Krüger (Ed.): The international politics of sport in the twentieth century. London: Routledge 1999, ISBN 0-419-21160-8 , pp. 150-176.
4. ^ What the Jackie Robinson Film Leaves Out
5. ↑ Jackie Robinson Quits His Job To Aid Rockefeller Campaign
6. ^ When Jackie Robinson Confronted a Trump-Like Candidate
7. ↑ An ill and unhappy Jackie Robinson turned on Nixon in 1968
8. ↑ Jackie Goes Home to Brooklyn
9. ↑ Minor Planet Circ. 40701
10. ↑ The Jackie Robinson Story: Overview . In: MSN.com . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
11. ↑ Homerun for Love, A (1978) - Overview . In: TCM.com . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
12. ^ Robert W. Creamer: The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson: Overview . In: MSN.com . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
13. ^ The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990) - Overview . In: New York Times . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
14. ^ Soul of the Game: Overview . In: MSN.com . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
15. ^ Caryn James: TELEVISION REVIEW: Across the Color Line With Satchel Paige . In: New York Times , April 20, 1996. Retrieved March 24, 2013. 
16. ↑ 42: Overview . In: MSN.com . Accessed March 24, 2013. 
17. ^ Gregory, Sean (February 21, 2013). "Going Places With Chadwick Boseman" . Time .
18. ↑ Witherspoon, Chris: Can Chadwick Boseman Hit A Home Run As Jackie Robinson? . In: The Grio , December 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012. 
19. ↑ Critic Review of film, comments on Historical Accuracy.
20. ^ Robert Lloyd: Review: Ken Burns' 'Jackie Robinson' documentary is a lump-in-the-throat trip that goes beyond baseball . In: Los Angeles Times , April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.