The year 1946 began with a new blessing for Jackie Robinson, he met his new son Jackie Junior. 1947 would be the year history was officially made in Brooklyn, Jackie Robinson would fill the mission piece to the puzzle in Major League baseball, and would become the first African American player to reach the league. Jackie was truly put to the test of handling racism attacks on him during his first season as a Dodger. “The Dodgers in 1947 were distinctly southern in character” Jackie did not get a positive welcome from his new teammates at all, in the movie 42, his teammates attempt a petition to get Jackie removed from the team. Branch Ricky was willing to get rid of his returning players before he would ever get rid of Jackie Robinson, and …show more content…
In Jackie’s at bats, Chapman would be yelling from the opposing dugout extremely absurd, racial comments. “Chapman’s campaign brought Jack crashing down” , especially because Jackie was struggling at the plate during most of this game. “But it was really getting to me. What did the Phillies want from me? What, indeed, did Mr. Ricky expect of me? I was after all, a human being…” Jackie was said to be “the loneliest man I have ever seen in sports” Surprisingly, Jackies teammate Eddie Stanky stood up to Chapman when he knew Jackie couldn’t. “Listen, you yellow-bellied cowards, why don’t you yell at somebody who can answer back?” At one point in his first season Jack went zero for twenty in at bats, but his manager Burt Shotton “shrugged off suggestions that he might bench Robinson” Jackie had the whole Dodgers organization behind his back by the end of his rookie season. Robinson hit over .300 for most of his rookie season, finishing with a .297 after his 20 game no hit streak, he was named rookie of the year. He lead the Dodgers in homeruns, lead the league in stolen bases, and most importantly took the Dodgers to the World Series where they met the New York Yankees. “The 1947 series ranks as one of the most thrilling in baseball history” Branch Ricky’s “noble experiment” had paid