A Long Negro in the Game: Jackie Robinson
Professional baseball teams and other major league sports did not permit African Americans to join their teams. However, Jackie Robinson changed that when he played his first game for the New York's Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Early on Jackie Robinson was recognized as a well-rounded athlete. While attending the University of California at Los Angeles, Robinson was considered a star player. He won honors in baseball, football, track, basketball, and was named All-American to the football team.
Branch Rickey was set out to find an African American player who could handle racial insults in a league dominated by whites. Rickey believed that Jackie Robinson could show restraint while being successful, and Robinson promised never to show anger on the field. This promise was soon put to the test. Ben
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Violent mail stating that “…somebody was going to get hurt if Robinson didn’t get out of baseball” was sent to the Dodgers. Instead of playing a clean game, pitchers aimed for his head, and some teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. Moreover, his teammates tried to have him banned from the team. Jackie was not even allowed to stay at the same hotels or eat with his white teammates
Jackie Robinson endured so much on and off the field, yet he never let it interfere with his game. Winning the National League's Most Valuable Player award in 1949, Jackie was without a doubt a great player and leader. In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers won six league championships and the World Series Championship with the help of Jackie. The second basemen dominated the field stealing home 19 times, batting .315, while taunting pitchers with his running style. According to Al Campanis, “He brought stealing back to the days of the twenties whereas up until that time baseball had become a long-ball hitting