Jackie Robinson

After his discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson began to play baseball at a professional level. During this time, sports were segregated, and African Americans and whites played in seperate leagues. Robinson first started off playing in the Negro leagues, but was soon chosen (by Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers) to help intregate major league baseball. Jackie then joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946. From there, Robinson began training with the team in Flordia, and he played his first game in Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, where he became the first black player to compete in the major leagues. Robinson often had to endure intense racial abuse from spectators, especially at away games, despite the fact of his very successful start of his career, leading the International League with a .349 batting average and a .985 fielding percentage. Jackie Robinson succeeded in putting the racial prejudice strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was. During hs first year, Robinson hit 12 home runs and helped the Dodgers win a national league pennant. Also that year, Robinson led the league in stolen bases and he was selected as Rookie of the Year. He also earned the League's Most Valuable Player Award. Robinson became a hero of the sport and soon became the highest paid athlete in Major League Baseball. In his decade long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Lastly, in 1955, Jackie helped the Dodgers achieve the ultimate victory: winning the World Series. After failing before in four other season match-ups the Dodgers beat the New Yok Yankees. After the Series win, Robinson was soon traded to the New York Giants. However, Jackie retired shortly after the trade, on January 5, 1957, with an impressie career batting average of .311.