Breaking the Color Barrier
Jackie found that working through the prejudice was going to be a challenge early on in his career. Struggling through the opening weeks of spring training in 1946, Robinson discovered that he wasn't welcomed with open arms. Many of the players from both the Royals and the Dodgers made it obvious that they didn't like the idea of playing with a black person.
Some ballparks had rules that forbade blacks from playing on their field, so Robinson had to sit out certain game. When the minor league season finally got underway, nevertheless, Jackie showed that he would fit in nicely Jackie received the e and starting spot at second base for the opening game, which pulled in 30,000 fans just to see him play. Hitting four of five, including a three-run homerun, Robinson quieted the biases. As the season moved along, Jack became more and more comfortable, receiving a few prejudice comments hither and thither. He finished the season with a league high .349 batting average and even led the Royals to an International League Championship in that year.
In 1947, Branch Rickey, the president of the Dodgers organization, promoted Robinson to the big leagues, making him the first black player ever to play in the major leagues. Many baseball fans, reporters, and analysts were outraged by Rickey's decision while the black population celebrated. His first season began with a batting slump which started the racism again. However, Jackie persevered and went on to win the Rookie of the Year in his first season. He also went on to be named the NL MVP in 1949 opening the door for many African Americans like, Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron to carry his legacy. Jackie lead the Dodgers to a World Series Championship in 1955 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. "I had learned how to earn the respect of my teammates. They had learned that it's not skin color but talent and ability that counts."
Some ballparks had rules that forbade blacks from playing on their field, so Robinson had to sit out certain game. When the minor league season finally got underway, nevertheless, Jackie showed that he would fit in nicely Jackie received the e and starting spot at second base for the opening game, which pulled in 30,000 fans just to see him play. Hitting four of five, including a three-run homerun, Robinson quieted the biases. As the season moved along, Jack became more and more comfortable, receiving a few prejudice comments hither and thither. He finished the season with a league high .349 batting average and even led the Royals to an International League Championship in that year.
In 1947, Branch Rickey, the president of the Dodgers organization, promoted Robinson to the big leagues, making him the first black player ever to play in the major leagues. Many baseball fans, reporters, and analysts were outraged by Rickey's decision while the black population celebrated. His first season began with a batting slump which started the racism again. However, Jackie persevered and went on to win the Rookie of the Year in his first season. He also went on to be named the NL MVP in 1949 opening the door for many African Americans like, Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron to carry his legacy. Jackie lead the Dodgers to a World Series Championship in 1955 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. "I had learned how to earn the respect of my teammates. They had learned that it's not skin color but talent and ability that counts."