Why Jackie Robinson was Chosen to Break the Color

Barrier!

Jackie's Upbringing

• Jackie's father left the family when Jackie was only 1 year old.

• He had to help his mother take care of his 4 brothers and sisters.

• The family was in virtual poverty so Jackie was excluded from many athletic activities. This helped him build his strong character.

Just Jackie

• Jackie Robinson was a four sport athlete at UCLA playing football, basketball, track, and baseball.

• He served in the army for 2 years as a second lieutenant but was arrested and discharged because he refused to sit in the back of a segregated bus during boot camp.

• He was court martial and then later honorably discharged.

• This showed he was not afraid by appealing the court martial in an appropriate way.

Jackie as a Baseball Player

• Before Jackie integrated major league baseball, he played in the negro leagues.

• He played for the Kansas City Monarchs one of the best teams in the negro leagues.

Why was Jackie Picked????

One of the reasons Jackie Robinson was chosen to break the color barrier was because Branch Rickey knew Jackie Robinson had the strength of character, not just the talent, to over-come the taunts that would come.

Being Chosen to Integrate Baseball

• In 1947 Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn dodgers brought Jackie Robinson into his office.

• They told him he would be hassled, threatened, and harassed. Jackie promised not to fight back, which ultimately helped Branch Rickey choose Jackie to integrate baseball.

Jackie

• Jackie Robinson was 28 years old when he broke the color barrier and played his first MLB game against the Boston Braves in Brooklyn.

Why Jackie Robinson is Important to Baseball.

Jackie Robinson was the best choice to integrate baseball. If any other black baseball player was chosen to break the color barrier things in baseball today may have been much different.

If any other player was chosen they could have reacted differently to the racism. They could have retaliated and received negative criticism to get them kicked out of baseball, but Jackie always kept his composure.

Still Affecting Players Today

• Without Jackie, other blacks may never have had the opportunity to play pro baseball.

• Every April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day. All MLB players honor him by wearing the #42 on this day.

How Good was Jackie Robinson at Baseball?

• Jackie had a career batting average of .311 his highest season batting average was .342!!

• He is the only player ever to steal every base in one on base.

• He was the first black rookie of the year. His number is retired by all 30 teams. He's a six time all-star. He was elected in to the Major league hall of fame in 1962.

Lasting Affects on Baseball

• Jackie helped integrate all sports. The current percent of colored players in professional baseball is 38.5 percent.

• The total percent in all sports is approximately 40%.

• None of these players would have had the opportunity if it weren't for Jackie Robinson paving the way.

Sources• Biography.com-info about Jackie's life and time in the army

• Mlb.com- help with Jackie's baseball statistics.

• Huffingtonpost.com-info on blacks in professional sports

• Yahooanswers.com- info about Jackie's life and career.

• Jackie Robinson biography, “Jackie Robinsons 7 values to live by”- for in depth info about his personal life and family

• Youtube.com- Jackie Robinson Barrier Breaker, Jackie Robinson's #42 - What the Number Means to the Game