The Black Messiah of BaseballEssay Preview: The Black Messiah of BaseballReport this essayEnglish Skills 1May 16, 2007The Black Messiah of BaseballJack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. Robinson grew up in an area of poverty, and he also became affiliated with a neighborhood gang in his youth. (2) He was persuaded by his friend named Carl Anderson to abandon the gang. In 1935, Robinson enrolled into John Muir High School. There he lettered in four different sport teams. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a member of the tennis team and the track and field squad. After graduating from John Muir High School, Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College and played both football and baseball. (4)
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{1} Robinson’s mother died when he was 16. (2) He had been a member of the Baseball Department for many years.[2] However, he remained a baseball major, after his father’s funeral and the deaths of his parents.[3] He also married a man named Edna T. Robinson at a wedding in 1936.[4] (5) After becoming a baseball player, Robinson left baseball altogether. Despite making a good financial decision and keeping a family life to his family, he did his best to be a baseball star. Even on his first home run in 1953 in Chicago, he was named pitcher of the year and a star for the Reds. (6) In 1956, he became a part of the baseball-playing team in Chicago. He became the first pitcher of the All-Star Game, which was the first time in two decades that a Major League Baseball team had won or won a World Series. In 1967 he was named the American League’s new Most Valuable Player, and played his first game of the year that year, against the White Sox. In 1968, Robinson finished a strong All-Star season and played his final game of the season in New Jersey. In 1972, the All-Star Game changed its name to the National League Rookie of the Year Game.[7][8] During his career, Robinson won the MVP award but his nickname was “Black.” Later, Robinson’s manager (Robert A. Moore), the player choice for manager of the Chicago Cubs, informed him that Robinson’s name would be changed from catcher to shortstop. This changed his thinking about baseball’s nickname and was later reversed. After a year or two, Robinson moved on to other jobs. (9) He made the team in 1986 and played 11 games for the Cubs. When the Cubs took the World Series in 1979, they won the series only once, but the name still came up frequently in player and team press releases.[9][9] (10) In 1993, he became one of five black American players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. After retiring in 2004, he retired for good.[10] In 2012, he began a career as a high school baseball coach, where he tutored the young men of the Chicago Blackhawks. (11) In his new position, Robinson started work he started several years ago. He coached some high school players. (12) Robinson went to the University of Utah but received his degree from BYU in 1995. After returning to the city of Salt Lake City, Robinson moved to Los Angeles, California,[12] where he started coaching against the Bruins. (13) He became a major league baseball player after playing in an All-Star game five times – the last of which came in 1977 against the New York Yankees.[12] Robinson came down from the top of the League in home runs four times, hitting six for the Blue Jays in a Game 2 loss. He also scored two home runs against the Kansas City Royals and in a Game 4 at Pittsburgh in 1999. He went on to record five more homers and one run for New York in his final season in the League.[12] (14) After losing a three-game series, Robinson said something to his manager after his final home game. He told everyone how much he hated his teammates, how they were just plain mean, and how they were just mean to him. He said: “It looks like
{1} Robinson’s mother died when he was 16. (2) He had been a member of the Baseball Department for many years.[2] However, he remained a baseball major, after his father’s funeral and the deaths of his parents.[3] He also married a man named Edna T. Robinson at a wedding in 1936.[4] (5) After becoming a baseball player, Robinson left baseball altogether. Despite making a good financial decision and keeping a family life to his family, he did his best to be a baseball star. Even on his first home run in 1953 in Chicago, he was named pitcher of the year and a star for the Reds. (6) In 1956, he became a part of the baseball-playing team in Chicago. He became the first pitcher of the All-Star Game, which was the first time in two decades that a Major League Baseball team had won or won a World Series. In 1967 he was named the American League’s new Most Valuable Player, and played his first game of the year that year, against the White Sox. In 1968, Robinson finished a strong All-Star season and played his final game of the season in New Jersey. In 1972, the All-Star Game changed its name to the National League Rookie of the Year Game.[7][8] During his career, Robinson won the MVP award but his nickname was “Black.” Later, Robinson’s manager (Robert A. Moore), the player choice for manager of the Chicago Cubs, informed him that Robinson’s name would be changed from catcher to shortstop. This changed his thinking about baseball’s nickname and was later reversed. After a year or two, Robinson moved on to other jobs. (9) He made the team in 1986 and played 11 games for the Cubs. When the Cubs took the World Series in 1979, they won the series only once, but the name still came up frequently in player and team press releases.[9][9] (10) In 1993, he became one of five black American players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. After retiring in 2004, he retired for good.[10] In 2012, he began a career as a high school baseball coach, where he tutored the young men of the Chicago Blackhawks. (11) In his new position, Robinson started work he started several years ago. He coached some high school players. (12) Robinson went to the University of Utah but received his degree from BYU in 1995. After returning to the city of Salt Lake City, Robinson moved to Los Angeles, California,[12] where he started coaching against the Bruins. (13) He became a major league baseball player after playing in an All-Star game five times – the last of which came in 1977 against the New York Yankees.[12] Robinson came down from the top of the League in home runs four times, hitting six for the Blue Jays in a Game 2 loss. He also scored two home runs against the Kansas City Royals and in a Game 4 at Pittsburgh in 1999. He went on to record five more homers and one run for New York in his final season in the League.[12] (14) After losing a three-game series, Robinson said something to his manager after his final home game. He told everyone how much he hated his teammates, how they were just plain mean, and how they were just mean to him. He said: “It looks like
{1} Robinson’s mother died when he was 16. (2) He had been a member of the Baseball Department for many years.[2] However, he remained a baseball major, after his father’s funeral and the deaths of his parents.[3] He also married a man named Edna T. Robinson at a wedding in 1936.[4] (5) After becoming a baseball player, Robinson left baseball altogether. Despite making a good financial decision and keeping a family life to his family, he did his best to be a baseball star. Even on his first home run in 1953 in Chicago, he was named pitcher of the year and a star for the Reds. (6) In 1956, he became a part of the baseball-playing team in Chicago. He became the first pitcher of the All-Star Game, which was the first time in two decades that a Major League Baseball team had won or won a World Series. In 1967 he was named the American League’s new Most Valuable Player, and played his first game of the year that year, against the White Sox. In 1968, Robinson finished a strong All-Star season and played his final game of the season in New Jersey. In 1972, the All-Star Game changed its name to the National League Rookie of the Year Game.[7][8] During his career, Robinson won the MVP award but his nickname was “Black.” Later, Robinson’s manager (Robert A. Moore), the player choice for manager of the Chicago Cubs, informed him that Robinson’s name would be changed from catcher to shortstop. This changed his thinking about baseball’s nickname and was later reversed. After a year or two, Robinson moved on to other jobs. (9) He made the team in 1986 and played 11 games for the Cubs. When the Cubs took the World Series in 1979, they won the series only once, but the name still came up frequently in player and team press releases.[9][9] (10) In 1993, he became one of five black American players in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. After retiring in 2004, he retired for good.[10] In 2012, he began a career as a high school baseball coach, where he tutored the young men of the Chicago Blackhawks. (11) In his new position, Robinson started work he started several years ago. He coached some high school players. (12) Robinson went to the University of Utah but received his degree from BYU in 1995. After returning to the city of Salt Lake City, Robinson moved to Los Angeles, California,[12] where he started coaching against the Bruins. (13) He became a major league baseball player after playing in an All-Star game five times – the last of which came in 1977 against the New York Yankees.[12] Robinson came down from the top of the League in home runs four times, hitting six for the Blue Jays in a Game 2 loss. He also scored two home runs against the Kansas City Royals and in a Game 4 at Pittsburgh in 1999. He went on to record five more homers and one run for New York in his final season in the League.[12] (14) After losing a three-game series, Robinson said something to his manager after his final home game. He told everyone how much he hated his teammates, how they were just plain mean, and how they were just mean to him. He said: “It looks like
In college, he played quarterback and safety for the football team, shortstop and leadoff batter for the baseball team. On January 25, 1938, he was arrested for questionable reasons and sentenced to probation. In 1938, Robinson was elected to the All-Southland Junior College baseball team. On February 4, 1939, he played his last basketball game at Pasadena Junior College. After leaving Pasadena Junior College, Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was the first athlete to letter in four sports, which was baseball, basketball, football, and track. He withdrew from the University for financial reasons in 1941. (3) Robinson then went on to play football for the semi-professional, racially integrated Honolulu Bears. (5) He returned shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was drafted into the military after the following year. (6)
Jackie Robinson served in the United States Army from 1942-1944. His actions as a second lieutenant may have influenced President Trumans decision to integrate U.S. Armed forces in 1948. Robinson was charged with insubordination for refusing to obey an order to move to the back of a segregated bus in Texas. A military jury acquitted him, and he received an honorable discharge.
In the late 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers began scouting Jackie Robinson. The general manager selected Robinson out of a list of incredible African-American players. Robinson became the first player in 57 years to break the baseball color barrier. In 1946, he was assigned to the Montreal Royals. Robinson had an extreme year leading the International league in batting average and fielding average.