About Jack Roosevelt Robinson (Jackie Robinson)
Jack Roosevelt Robinson or Jackie Robinson, is famous because he was a great baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball. He is also known for breaking the color barrier in baseball. In 1962, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame his first year of eligibility. He served in World War II and accomplished many great things. Branch Rickey, the general manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed Robinson to the Dodgers on October 23, 1945 in hopes to integrate baseball. He had a batting average of .342 in the year 1949, he was also voted the Most Valuable Player that year. In the article, Jackie Robinson, by Warren Goldstein, it says, “...Robinson and the black players that followed him. His success encouraged the integration of professional football, basketball, and tennis, while the Negro Leagues, which in a sense depended on segregation…” Jackie helped this happen because he played in the Major Leagues, but it wasn’t always easy on him. The article also states that, “In 1997, 50 years after Robinson integrated baseball his number, 42, was permanently retired by every team in Major League Baseball.” It is rare that a number is retired for every baseball player, but every April 15th, Jackie’s number is worn by all players of the game, even the umps. Jackie Robinson passed away on October 24, 1972 in Stamford Connecticut.
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This picture shows Jackie Robinson (left) and Branch Rickey (right) together.
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Other Credible Sites
http://classic.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar471880&st=jackie+robinson
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