1 1947 ROBINSON’S DEBUT O n the afternoon of April 15 1947 Jackie Robinson made history He did not hit a game-winning home run He did not break a record He merely put on his first baseman’s mitt and jogged to his position in the top of the first inning With that simple act baseball’s color barrier had been broken For more than 60 years no black player had played a Major League Baseball MLB game Team owners had followed an unwritten rule that the big leagues would be for whites only But the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to break that rule Dodgers executive Branch Rickey signed Robinson a three-sport star at the Jackie Robinson poses in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform 5
Jackie Robinson shows his form at first base University of California Los Angeles UCLA Rickey liked Robinson’s talent He liked his maturity too He thought Robinson would be able stay calm and focused while facing the ugly racism he was sure to encounter 6
On Opening Day of the 1947 season at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn Robinson played first base and hit second in the Dodgers lineup He did not get a hit but he scored the winning run in a 5 3 victory over the Boston Braves More importantly Robinson showed he belonged He went on to play 10 seasons in a Hall of Fame career In 1947 he hit 297 stole a league-best 29 bases and was voted Rookie of the Year He endured racist taunts from fans and even other players yet he held his temper By playing with dignity and grace Robinson opened doors for other black players It was just another ballgame and that’s the way they’re all going to be he said after his debut in Brooklyn But it was much more than that The moment Robinson stepped on the field baseball was changed forever 7
