Robinson, "Jackie" (Jack R.)
Baseball
b. Jan. 31, 1919, near Cairo, GA
d. Oct. 24, 1972
Deserted by his father when he was less than a year old, Robinson's mother moved to Pasadena, CA, where she worked as a maid. Robinson grew up in a poor neighborhood where many boys were likely to become juvenile delinquents and then criminals. But a man named Carl Anderson established organized sports in the neighborhood; Robinson and many other boys had their attention and energy diverted into a new field.
Robinson went to Pasadena Junior College and then won a scholarship to UCLA, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He left school in 1941, shortly before he would have received his degree, to work for the National Youth Administration as an assistant athletic director.
Drafted into the Army during World War II, Robinson became a lieutenant and was discharged late in 1944, when he became basketball coach at Samuel Houston College in Texas. Then he joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1945.
Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a black player to integrate major-league baseball, and Robinson was one of his prospects. They had a long meeting on August 28, 1945, at which Rickey warned Robinson that he would be subjected to vicious racial epithets and probably some foul play on the field, and that he would have to hold himself back from retaliating.
Robinson accepted the role with some reluctance and signed with the Dodgers. He spent the 1946 season with their Montreal farm club in the International League and moved into the major leagues in 1947, the first black player since 1888.
Although he'd been a shortstop with Kansas City and a second baseman with Montreal, Robinson played first base that season, batted .297, led the league in stolen bases with 29, and was named the NL rookie of the year.
In 1948, he moved back to second base and hit 296. Then he had his best season, leading the league with a .342 average and 37 stolen bases, scoring 122 runs and driving in 124 to win the most valuable player award.
Robinson hit over .300 each of the next five seasons, playing all infield positions and the outfield at various times. After he hit .256 in 1955 and .275 in 1956, he was traded to the New York Giants. Rather than report to the Giants, Robinson announced his retirement.
He later worked in public relations for a restaurant chain, became active in the civil rights movement, worked for New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, wrote for newspapers, and did television commentary.
Suffering from diabetes, Robinson had a heart attack in 1968. He appeared at the opening game of the 1972 World Series, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of major-league baseball's integration, and died of another heart attack a few weeks afterward.
In his 10 seasons, Robinson batted .311 with 1,518 hits, including 273 doubles, 54 triples, and 137 home runs. He stole 197 bases, scored 9476 runs, and had 734 RBI.