Jackie+Robinson

media type="google" key="-7116574373993734047&hl=en&fs=true" width="400" height="326" Jackie Robinson // By Cara // Have you ever wondered who was the first African American to play in major league baseball? If you have, this will tell you about Jackie Robinson, the first African American that played in the major leagues. Who taught Jackie how to play baseball? Jackie and his dad played baseball in his front yard while his sister was watching him hit homeruns over and over again. Their neighbors would throw rocks at their windows and call them names even if the ball only went into their neighbor’s front yard.

What did Jackie do before he played baseball? In high school Jackie participated in every sport that was offered. He was usually the best player on his team. A baseball scout remembered Jackie Robinson leaving in the middle of a baseball game, changing his uniform, and compete in broad jump during a track meet. His incredible athletic talent earned him a scholarship to the University of California. Jackie became the first student in UCLA history to earn a varsity letters in four sports. He was the school’s best leading scorer in basketball, and he was the the best broad jumper. In football, he led the nation in rushing and in punt-return yards. Jackie never graduated from UCLA, because he was eager to make money, to help support his mother. Jackie left school in 1941 to find a job. Two days later, Japan attacked the U.S. military base in Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. The United States entered the World War II the next day within a few months Jackie drafted into the army. He worked at youth camp, then played pro football in Hawaii for minor-league Honolulu Bears. When football season ended on December 5, 1941 homesick Jackie Robinson immediately boarded a ship to California.

Who let Jackie play baseball? After Jackie’s successful year of playing in the minor league, people began to wonder if he would be promoted to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Most of the baseball world attempted to block Robinson’s promotion. Commissioner Chandler approved Robinson for being in the major leagues. There were protesters that didn’t want him on their team so bad they threatened to kill him. There was a vote of sixteen baseball team owners, and fifteen of them voted against Jackie joining the Dodgers. Branch Rickie was the only one who said yes. The baseball Commissioner, A.B. Chandler, however, liked his idea and approved him.

Was anyone nice to Jackie? During the last game of the Phillies series, while everyone was shouting at Jackie and saying, “Get off the field! You don’t belong here on the Dodgers team.” Eddie Stankie became fed up with the barrage of insults He shouted to the Phillies dugout, “Why don’t you yell at someone who can answer back?” It was a very important moment for Jackie because Stanky was one of the players that organized the spring-training protest against Jackie. When the rest of the Dodgers saw Stanky stand up for Jackie, they all began to treat him as a true teammate.

Did Jackie get paid for playing baseball? He played with the Dodgers for ten years and helped win six national leagues pennants. By 1950 Jackie Robinson was the undisputed leader of the Dodgers. That year Jackie Robinson’s salary was over $35,000.

My Essential Question. My Essential question is, how did the idea Jackie Robinson affect the way We play baseball and America today?

My Answer to my essential question, Jackie Robinson changed the way that we play baseball and America today By playing baseball with the whites and showing that anyone should be able To do whatever they want even though you are colored, and that’s why Jackie Robinson made history for baseball and for America. Works Cited Adler, David A. __Picture book of Jackie Robinson__. New York: Holiday House, 1994. Krull, Kathleen. __Lives of the athletes thrills, spills (and what the neighbors thought)__. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1997. McLeese, Don. __Jackie Robinson (Mcleese, Don. Equal Rights Leaders.)__. Grand Rapids: Rourke, 2003. Santella, Andrew. __Jackie Robinson breaks the color line__. New York: Children's P, 1996.