Daring Play: How a Courageous Jackie Robinson Transformed Baseball
Before Jackie Robinson left moved up to the major league Dodgers Branch Rickey signed him to a contract on October 23 1945 to play with the Montreal Royals the Dodgers top minor league team Rickey wanted the first black player to be smart brave and able to withstand racism without reacting angrily The player might seethe inside but he would not respond to the taunts and discrimination he would face Rickey was sure Robinson was the player he wanted Yet after Robinson became a Dodger and usually managed to keep his feelings inside his self-respect and desire to win sometimes came to the surface When he spoke his mind about racial issues or the treatment he received some whites thought he was complaining too much Stepping to the plate or taking his position on the field Robinson often heard boos A sportswriter told him that the press and some fans disliked him because he was too aggressive Few white players would have been criticized for that or for speaking honestly about their treatment as Robinson often did
Robinson officially broke the color line April 15 1947 when he made his major league debut against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn Robinson played a huge role in getting the Dodgers into the World Series starting in 1947 his first year in the big leagues He was a good hitter and an excellent fielder He played wherever the Dodgers needed him moving from second base to third or first Although a natural infielder he played more than 150 games in the outfield to help his team Robinson was also fast and ready to take risks on the base paths when necessary Just as important as his athletic skill was his playing style He always played hard and did anything he could to win Above anything else he once said I hate to lose
In 1947 Robinson became the first major league player to receive the Rookie of the Year award Before the 1955 season began however he didn’t know how long he could keep playing Although still a fast runner he had slowed down a bit And injuries sometimes limited his playing time He began thinking about life beyond baseball Robinson missed nearly one-third of the 1955 season because of injuries and age But as the postseason approached he was in better health and playing well I made up my mind
to go out there and hustle he said He felt that his energy had helped inspire his teammates to win the National League pennant The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees lined up before the start of a 1955 World Series game at Yankee Stadium Despite his contributions some baseball experts wondered whether Robinson would be a starting player in Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees Former Dodgers manager Leo Durocher had managed Robinson in Brooklyn and had seen him play while running the New York Giants the city’s other team The thought of not starting Robinson was crazy Durocher said Jackie Robinson was born to play and excel in the awful
