Facts About Jackie Robinson: He Really Did Hit It Out Of The Park

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball.

He integrated all-white stadiums and endured so much racist hatred, hostility, and harassment that he often had to be hospitalized for emotional exhaustion. But Robinson was able to persevere through it all with his wit and intelligence, setting an example for generations of ballplayers who would come after him.

He was one of the greatest baseball players ever who also participated in basketball, football, and track events at school. After Jackie broke the color barrier, he could bring the sport to a different level.

He changed the sport from a white man's playground to a more diverse sport. With his talent, he made a place for himself in history.

After Jackie broke the color barrier, he could bring the sport to a different level. He changed the sport from a white man's playground to a more diverse sport. With his talent, he made a place for himself in history.

Jackie Robinson has been awarded many achievements and honors throughout his life. He received accolades, including entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was also made a part of the MLB All-Century Team.

But this is not all about this African-American game-changer; let's learn more about his life, game, and struggles through the fun facts. Afterward, also check out Lionel Messi facts and Alex Rodriguez facts.

Fun Facts About Jackie Robinson

His real name was John – not Jackie. He acquired the nickname of 'Jackie' after being called so when he was a child because he resembled 'Jackie' in the comic strip 'Little Orphan Annie.'

When the Kansas City Monarchs signed Robinson, they agreed to rename him Jack Roosevelt Robinson (which became his legal name) because team owner J.L. Wilkinson thought the name John was too plain.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. His father, Jerry Robinson, left his wife to move to Pasadena, California, leaving Jackie with strangers until his mother Maud could come and get him.

Maud and Jackie eventually reunited with Jerry and moved to Pasadena. He began playing sports at Muir High School and then UCLA when he was older. During his senior year of high school in 1937, the Bruins won their first basketball championship in the school's history.

Then as a senior at UCLA, he led the Bruins to their first basketball national championship in 1939. Robinson was named the Most Valuable Player after scoring 35 points against Duke.

As a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, Jackie visited three different teams, namely in Montreal, Canada; Nashua, New Hampshire; and Montreal again before the start of spring training in 1947. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

After spending his entire 22-year career with Brooklyn, he was traded to the newly established Los Angeles Dodgers.

The man known as Jackie Robinson broke baseball race barriers and paved the way for players of color throughout Major League Baseball. He was seen as a pioneer who helped pave the way to equality in society and sports.

While in the military, Robinson played for various teams as a pitcher and a second baseman. He also played baseball on the West Point baseball team.

Robinson graduated from West Point in 1947 with a bachelor's degree in geology. He was honorably discharged from military service at the rank of captain in 1948. After retiring from baseball, Robinson served as the first vice president of the National League (NL) club, the Brooklyn Dodgers, from 1965 to 1976.

The franchise was in financial trouble and faced a move to Los Angeles. Robinson helped overcome their financial problems and helped turn around the Dodgers' fortunes.

Jackie Robinson: Timeline

This timeline includes key events in Jackie Robinson's life and significant moments in his career concerning African American history and the racial barrier-breaking within baseball. Also included are his most significant accomplishments, awards, and major events in the Black History Movement.

1932: Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31.

1942: Jackie Robinson attends grammar school in Cairo.

1944: Jackie Robinson was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African American to play professional baseball on April 15, 1947. He plays twelve seasons with the Dodgers before being traded to the Brooklyn Mets. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

1946: Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American player in the major leagues when he is called up to start at third base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15.

1947: Jackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier when he makes his major league debut on April 15, becoming the first African American player in Major League Baseball.

1948: Jackie Robinson played his final game with Brooklyn on August 10 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm. He spends his entire 22-year career playing for Brooklyn, finishing with a .311 batting average with over 3,000 hits and 461 stolen bases.

1949: Jackie Robinson wins the World Series MVP award for the 1950 World Champions Brooklyn Dodgers.

1950: Jackie Robinson leads the National League with a 22-game hitting streak. He hits over .320 for the season and is voted to the All-Star team.

1951: Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American elected to play in an All-Star Game, hitting a home run in his only time at bat.

1952: Jackie Robinson plays in his 1,000th game on July 8 and becomes the first African American inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame on July 22.

1953: Jackie Robinson inspires an entire generation of black athletes by becoming more than just a ballplayer to many people. He becomes a civil rights icon as he makes statements to the world about his beliefs in equality and justice.

1955: Jackie Robinson becomes baseball's first black manager when he is promoted to team President of the Montreal Royals while still playing for the Dodgers. He resigned because of financial problems at the club.

1956: Jackie Robinson is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame again. The day after his induction, Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia announced plans to build a Jackie Robinson Park in New York City. Plans are scrapped when Brooklyn has not completed their new stadium by this time.

1998: Jackie Robinson died on October 24 in Stamford, Connecticut, from diabetes and heart disease complications.

2003: The United States Postal Service established the Jackie Robinson stamp, the 29th stamp to honor a citizen.

2008: The Brooklyn Cyclones, the Single-A affiliate for the New York Mets, renamed their stadium "Jackie Robinson Ballpark" on April 15.

2009: President Barack Obama awards Jackie Robinson a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12 in the East Room of the White House during a ceremony honoring 14 recipients from various fields of endeavor.

2010: Brooklyn, New York unveils a statue of Jackie Robinson at the entrance of the Jackie Robinson Parkway, which runs through the city.

2013: Jackie Robinson's widow Rachel Robinson and his son Craig Robinson appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss the late athlete's life and legacy.

2014: The United States Postal Service released a stamp for 'The Jackie Robinson 75th Anniversary,' celebrating his achievements fifty years ago. This is only the second sports figure to get a stamp created in honor of his achievement.

2015: The New York Mets name their minor league team in Brooklyn, New York, as the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Facts About Jackie Robinson's Career

Robinson was the first African American to play in modern major league baseball. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1956, and he broke many barriers that were set for him. He set a precedent for other African American players to follow by being great athletes.

His Brooklyn Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese defended Robinson against racial slurs during his rookie season.

He was a great athlete, not only in baseball but also in football and track and field, before turning professional. In 1939 he was named an All-American football player while attending college; later that year, he won the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the long jump with a whopping leap.

Robinson began his career with the Negro league teams in Kansas City and Washington, D.C. He joined the Dodgers' farm team in Montreal, playing a season of Triple-A baseball before being called up to the majors. He was the first black player in the major leagues since 1884.

Jackie Robinson was a very successful player during his time with the Dodgers. He played 1,067 games and had a lifetime batting average of .311 with 197 stolen bases, 114 doubles, and 194 RBIs.

He was voted Major League Baseball's Most Valuable Player in 1949. The same year he also led his team to an appearance in the World Series, which they lost to the New York Yankees four games to two.

Robinson attended UCLA on a basketball scholarship. His athletic ability drew scouts' attention, and he was drafted into the army in 1942.

He was given a deferment because of his athletic talent. The Dodgers made Robinson go into the minor leagues for a year before allowing him to play for the Major Leagues so that he could get used to playing alongside white players.

When Robinson earned his Major League Baseball contract with the Dodgers, he became the first African American to own a million-dollar contract. He was also the first African American to win the 'Player of the Year' Award in 1947, which he received as part of receiving six Gold Glove Awards during his 15-year career.

During his first year playing in the Major Leagues, Robinson was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player for that season by both The Sporting News and Baseball Digest Magazines.

Jackie Robinson was one of the first African-Americans to play Major League Baseball.

He played the field and was a great power hitter. He experienced a lot of racism and discrimination but changed and improved America for all people.

During the 1949 season, he won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award!

Jackie Robinson is best known as the first black major league baseball player. His legacy paved the way for other blacks to play in major league baseball, which has become integrated throughout professional sports leagues across North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and South America.

Facts About Jackie Robinson's Family

Jackie Robinson's parents, Mallie and Jerry Robinson, were both athletes. His father played basketball at Wilberforce University (the first black college to win an intercollegiate championship in any sport). His mother was a sprinter who was a nationally rated tennis player.

They met at the University of Iowa, where they both attended college. He played baseball, football, basketball, athletics, and track as a schoolboy.

Robinson's mother, Mallie Robinson, was fiercely protective of her children. After her husband left the family when Jackie was 11 years old, she became the family's primary breadwinner. She worked as a maid in wealthy households throughout much of California.

Jackie made his breakthrough into the major leagues in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

He led them to three National League pennants and one World Series championship over 12 seasons before being traded to the New York Giants. He played two seasons before an injured knee ended his career.

He served as the first African American Major League Baseball (MLB) executive in the 20th century, as president of the Chock Full O' Nuts restaurant chain from 1963 to 1972, and then as vice-president of personnel for MLB from 1975 until his death in 1972.

He wanted to pursue sports professionally, but his wife did not want him to leave military life. Robinson graduated from the military academy in 1944 and served as the second lieutenant for the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II. In his twelve years of military service, he was stationed in Panama, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. 

Robinson was married to Rachel Marjorie (1926-2004), who had been born on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts, along with his three sons Jackie Robinson Jr., Jeffrey 'Jeff' Robinson (b. 1951), and Ronald 'Ronny' Jefferson 'Ron' Robinson (b.

1957). After retiring from baseball, he worked for a time as an assistant with the Chock Full O' Nuts Corporation.

He was elected to the Dodgers Hall of Fame in 1962 and to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1962 – one year after Babe Ruth. He was also named Major League Baseball's second black manager for the Montreal Expos in 1973.

Robinson and his wife moved to Beverly Hills in 1960 and lived there until his death. His wife survived him by only a year.

Jackie Robinson might have started as a baseball player, but he defines the game today. To conclude the article, we say that Jackie Robinson was a man of his time and ahead of his time.

He was able to bring change people saw as necessary and make an impact. Jackie Robinson was someone who was a baseball player and more than just an athlete.

Robinson did not just play in the African-American league but also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, which at that time was an all-white team. He had to go up against racial discrimination and stereotypes and some of his teammates to prove that he deserved and earned his spot on a major league baseball team.

Jackie had many accomplishments in his life and is revered across America and the world!

Jackie Robinson was an amazing person and an amazing athlete. He made outstanding contributions to the world, and he deserves recognition.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 201 Facts About Jackie Robinson: He Really Did Hit It Out Of The Park, then why not take a look at Adrian Peterson Facts or Michael Jordan facts.