The struggles of Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson / Bob Sandberg - Commons

Many may wonder why Jackie Robinson is still talked about today and why is he such a significant figure in baseball. Most would answer that he was the first African American to play in the major leagues, but it was much more than that.

Robinson was selected from in the Negro Leagues to become the first African American in modern day to play baseball in the major leagues. He was scouted while the Brooklyn Dodgers were looking for new talent in many foreign countries, searching for players that could potentially win them the pennant. When Robinson first met Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ club president, he was told that the hardest part of playing in the major league would be not fighting back no matter what might come his way.

The hate was far beyond just the fans; Robinson had to deal with teammates that did not want to play with him, opponents that looked to harm him, and the pressure of failure. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Robinson led the Dodgers to a pennant in 1955, as well as being crowned MVP in 1949.

Robinson’s achievements move far outside just winning the World Series. He is a recognized figure throughout baseball because he paved the way for others to follow in the major leagues. This was not just limited to black people, but any man of color that was previously rejected because of their nationality. 
 
Robinson is recognized for his struggles because it was one of the first major steps in ending segregation not just in baseball, but across the United States.

Jackie Robinson, role model of the century

Jackie Robinson is one of the most influential people in American history. Everybody knows Robinson as an amazing baseball player that fought through the harsh conditions of competing in the “white” major leagues. Not only was Robinson a phenomenal player, but he was a humble human being as well. He paved the way for not only colored ball players, but also for civil rights activists as well.

Robinson had to play with the terrors of racism. He had to sleep away from his teammates and even had to scour for food alone. He was not allowed in most facilities with his teammates, so he was on his own most of the time. Not only did Robinson overcome these harsh conditions, but he performed terrifically in them. He led the Brooklyn Dodgers to the World Series in his first year on the team.

Robinson fought off racism by showing how wonderful he played on the field, performing proficiently on both offense and defense. With his extraordinary charisma and athletics, Robinson was able to win over the hearts of thousands of whites that loved to watch him play, something no other African American player could say they’ve done. With thousands of fans behind him, Robinson was able to prove that blacks could sell out stadiums just as well as whites could, which led to other teams singing African American players.

Robinson was the greatest role model in the middle of the 20th century, but why is he still praised today? If you look at baseball today, there is a diverse range of nationalities. Robinson was the perfect person to not only win over fans with his skills, but to shrug off any harsh actions thrown his way. Robinson is inspirational in the way he handled adversity and flourished both on and off the field.

Jackie Robinson's contribution to the Civil Rights Movement

Jackie Robinson - Wikimedia Commons

The people of the United States voted Barack Obama to office on November 4, 2008, making him the first black president in American history. One can walk down the streets of New York and see people of all colors sharing the same schools, restaurants, and hotels. Although this generation is used to seeing equality in America and the thought of segregation does not cross the average Joe’s mind, it was not always like this.

During the 1940's, everything was segregated from bathrooms and water fountains, to schools and professional sports. Although there is still some discrimination in the United States, there are many laws to prevent segregation and there are organizations such as NAACP that are still trying to advance civil rights. Perhaps the most significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement was Jackie Robinson, who paved the way for future athletes and all people of color to be treated equally.

Signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Robinson had to endure much hate and discrimination in Major League Baseball. Despite his incredible talent, baseball fans did not accept him upon entering the league, and neither did some members of his team. The hotels that the Dodgers would stay at while traveling from city to city did not allow blacks. Robinson would have to find places to stay, which would not always be easy to find even in the same part of town. This is a task Robinson had to get used to in addition to being tired from practice, games, and time on the road. If the restaurants that the Dodgers would eat at did not allow blacks, he would have to either find a different restaurant or wait for his teammates to bring him some take-out after they ate.

His opponents also tried to hurt him on the field, from spiking him harder and more often than other players, to picking fights with him, knowing he was not allowed to fight back. Experiencing all these horrendous conditions, Robinson was still able to take the Dodgers to the World Series in his first year.

His incredible talent showed scouts that whites were not the only ones who can play baseball. The fact that he broke the barrier between whites and colored people in MLB contributed greatly to the Civil Rights Movement, not only in sports, but all angles of life.

Jackie Robinson, a man to remember

Jackie Robinson signs autographs / Boston Public Library - Flickr.com

You can’t go long into baseball history without stumbling upon Jackie Robinson. It seems like he is everywhere. What makes him special? Robinson opened the doors for further acceptance of minorities in the United States of America. Upon being signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers to play for the Montreal Royals, Robinson was faced with the task of tearing down the color barrier.

In order to end segregation in Major League Baseball, Robinson had to perform with greater expectations. Robinson’s numbers on the box score were carefully watched and he was forced to put up with any racism he faced. These injustices ranged from not being able to eat with his team, to opponents being extra rough when playing against him. In a way, Robinson’s fights were best fought with patience.

His rookie year demonstrated that Robinson played better than most of the other ball players in MLB. Fans couldn’t even point to Robinson’s personality as reason to hate him because Robinson didn’t fight back. Slowly, people began realizing that their hatred of Robinson was only for the color of his skin rather than his ability on the field. Once the talent and traits of Robinson became apparent, people realized that the outside appearance of a man has no impact on what kind of human he is.

Robinson’s inclusion and success in MLB lead to further acceptance of other minorities into the world of sports. This occurred through the bondage people share when playing sports with one another. Much of the better jobs in society were not given to minorities, but like many movements throughout history, it took small events or actions to start a snowball effect. Fast forward to the present and there now is a black president running the United States of America. This huge feat could not have happened without Robinson showing the nation that a man should not be judged by outside appearance, but rather the inner qualities that make up who he really is.

Robinson strives for equality

Jackie Robinson /  Abayomi Azikiwi-Flickr

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Robinson began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and with his accomplishments he was able to influence many other people. 

Robinson was the only African American playing in the major leagues at the time, therefore he had to prove that he was as good as any other player on the league. Even though, many people did not want him to play and did not support him because of his skin color, he strived to make good plays and help the Dodgers win. As he continued to play, he showed people that he made a lot of contributions to the team and soon his teammates began to accept him as a player. This was the first time that people in baseball that people began to view African Americans in a different way and saw that they had the potential of doing great things.

After Robinson other African Americans were inspired to fight for their rights because they saw that they had a chance to being accepted. People like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr were inspired to protest during the Civil Rights Movement in order to make everyone in society equal. They wanted to break the barrier for people of color in society like Robinson did in baseball.

Robinson’s baseball career encouraged many people to fight for civil rights and they were able to gain new opportunities. His accomplishments in baseball allowed other colored people to play in the major leagues. His charisma and his willingness to fight for the rights of colored men inspired other people to continue to strive for equality in order to make society a place in which white men and black men came together as one.  

There Goes the Duke

Duke Snider / Donruss

Edwin Donald Snider nicknamed "Duke" was the pride of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Snider had pride in winning his game, that’s why his father nicknamed him Duke. Snider hit 40 or more home runs each season from 1953 to 1957 and led Brooklyn to their only World Series in 1955. Snider was an exceptional player until 1960 when his ability diminished due to the team moving to Los Angeles and a bad knee. Snider’s impressive home run ability was not apparent as he hit only 15 home runs in 1958. Playing in the Los Angeles stadium was a big obstacle for the left handed slugger Snider because the right field fence was 440 feet away from the home plate. After playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers for five seasons and winning one World Series, he was sold to the New York Mets on April 1, 1963.

Snider was past his prime when he was playing for the Mets. He batted .243 with 14 home runs in 415 plate appearances. Due to Snider's request to play for a winning team he was sold to the San Francisco Giants in 1964 after playing for the Mets for one season. In San Francisco, Snider wore the number 28 uniform because his usual number 4 uniform was worn by Mel Ott and retired by the Giants. The Giants and Dodgers were always intense rivals of each other. It affected the Dodgers fans deeply when Snider played for the Giants. Their rivalry started when both teams were playing in New York and continued when both team moved to California. To Snider it was an honor for him to be compared to Willie Mays of the Giants and explains, "so we had a rivalry as a team, that was it." Snider was well liked and his fans will always consider him a part of the Dodgers. To his fans no one can dethrone the "Duke" and will always upheld him as number one in their hearts.

The Duke of Brooklyn

Duke Snider VintageCardtraders

Back when the baseball fans in New York were split among three teams, Duke Snider was the glory of the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers. As a free agent signed by the Dodgers in 1943, Snider made his debut in 1947 against the Boston Braves. Although he helped to win that game with a pinch-hit single, his debut was overshadowed by Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball two days prior. Snider played his first full season with the Dodgers in 1949, finishing with a .292 batting average and 92 RBI.’s. Snider earned himself a fan club the following year.

Snider is the only person to hit four home-runs twice in a World Series. While still in Brooklyn, he took the Dodgers to the World Series five times, leading them to their only World Series win against the New York Yankees in 1955 after years of defeat. This gave Brooklyn its first and only World Series championship. Snider was awarded 1955 ML Major League Player of the year.

Snider's teammate Tommy Lasorda offer this in regards to his recent passing, “I was Duke’s teammate and looked up to him with respect. Duke was not only a great player, but he was a great person, too. He loved his family and loved the Dodgers. He was the true Dodger and represented the Dodgers to the highest degree of class, dignity and character. He was my teammate and friend and I will really miss him.” Source: TimesUnion


1955 World Series Duke Snider