The Role Of Jackie Robinson In David Falkner's Great Time Coming

In the book, Great Time Coming, by David Falkner, the author takes us through Robinson's journey from his childhood days in Pasadena to his days of becoming a Brooklyn Dodger. Jackie Robinson wasn’t just a single African American who was trying to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, he was trying to break the color barrier in American society for all black African Americans. America was a world power in the 1940’s. Coming off WW2, America’s standard of living was one of the best in the world. However, as good as America was at the time, racism was still a lingering conflict which internally hurt America’s self-image. Society was divided between the whites and the blacks, from restaurants even to professional organized sports.

When looking back at some of the baseball greats, Jackie went through the toughest journeys to the majors. What impressed people the most about Robinson was his inner drive. In the mid 1940’s, when teams looked for new players, they looked for players with high physical ability and high caliber intangibles, but when Frank Rickey looked at Robinson, he looked for patience and competitiveness. When Robinson stepped on the field for the first time as a Brooklyn Dodger, he didn’t just bring his skills and competitive drive, he brought the entire pride of the African American community. As Robinson played his first years as a Dodger, he opened up the door for other talented African Americans such as, who were eager to bring their game to the big leagues as well. However, what separated Robinson from the rest of the stars was his attitude; he was grateful of his opportunity and didn’t speak rashly even when he had the chance. When Robinson first came into the league, he was involved in a one-sided conflict with the Philadelphia Phillies’s manager Ben Chapman, a southerner. In one particular series against the Dodgers, Chapman relentlessly harassed Robinson with his verbal taunts and abuses and as usual Robinson didn't say anything. However, one of Robinson's teammates, Eddie Stankey, came to his rescue and told Chapman to shut his mouth and sit down. Eventually, the

That's why it is no surprise that Robinson was named the Rookie of the Year. Nowadays the award is divided into two, with one award given to a rookie in the American League and another award given to the best rookie in the NL. As mentioned before, Robinson's journey towards the majors was one marked with adversity and obstacles. When he was first being recruited by Frank Rickey, Robinson was far from a finished product. In fact he got help on every aspect of his game from various prominent African American players from the Negro leagues, because they knew that if he failed in the majors then they would have no chance of entering the majors. When we look back at Robinson's career, it was filled with several accolades, but the one that started it all of was the NL Rookie of the Year Award. This award is not only given to the best rookie in the League, but to the upcoming stars, who will be the faces of the majors for years to come. Various greats bagged the award such as Cal Ripken Jr, Derek Jeter, but Jackie’s was the most impressive because his award was the first rookie honor to be given out. In a time when society was dominated by legal racism, Robinson wasn’t just the first African American to win the Rookie of the Year award, he was a regular player who the public’s