Born, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, in Georgia on January 31st, 1919, Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues. That's what he's probably most know for, but he was a lot more than that.
He played soccer in the 4th grade!! I find this interesting, because i can't imagine that anyone played soccer in 1929....
In high school he lettered in football, baseball, basketball and track. He went to UCLA in 1939 where he led the basketball team in scoring, won a national championship in the long jump, was an all-american at half-back, and played shortstop.
He played semi-pro football in Hawaii in 1941, but came home after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was drafted into the army and made lieutenant in 1943, receiving an honorable discharge in 1944.
In 1945 he sign a contract to play in the American Negro League for 400 dollars a month, where he dominated with a .400 batting average. In October he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history, and played on their minor league team for a season.
In 1947, Robinson was moved up to the Majors. That year, Brooklyn won the league title behinds Robinson's .297 batting average and 29 stolen bases. Jackie was names Rookie of the Year. He went on to collect 6 national league pennants and a world series in 1955. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.
The thing to keep in mind is that not many people were rooting for him to succeed. In fact, a lot of people tried to make him fail. He was probably discriminated against and threatened every day. It's hard to imagine standing up against that kind of pressure but he did it in a time when not many would, or even could.
Jackie Robinson died from a heart attack in 1972, at the age of 53.
I'd like to also mention that Jackie Robinson was a good son, the youngest of 5 children. Also he was a loving husband and father of 3.
If you ever think you have a hard road ahead of you and wonder if things will ever get better, read about Jackie Robinson. You will see that any adversity can be overcome with determination.
So, happy birthday to you Jack. And thank you for leading by example.
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