Jackie Robinson Essay, Research Paper

Jackie Robinson

BY

Mark Alvarez

For my summer reading I read Jackie Robinson. Before Jackie was born his grandfather was a slave in a Georgia plantation. Jackie was born on January 31, 1919. After six months his father left and his dad left 4 other children for jackie’s mom to support them. Jackie’s mom was only thirty years old and her half-brother lived in California and she heard that the west better for her sons. she raised money by selling all of her possessions. Then she left Georgia on a train which was very exhausting and when they arrived in Pasadena they were very relieved.

Jackie made up a gang called the “Pepper Street Gang” and they played, stole and mostly had fun together. Jackie was a star at all sports when he attended high school. Jackie had a idol and it was his brother. His brother was one of the fastest sprinters and the longest jumper in the world. Mack was in was in the Olympics in Berlin. Jackie met Rachel Isum the woman later would marry. Jackie got a job in the army and thats when Jackies’s fight for equal rights started. In 1945 Branch Rickey was the president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He had a black or also called the, ” Negro Leagues”. Jackie agreed to play with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945.

He knew that he would be competing against the best blackplayers in the country. Then Jackie moved to Chicago.

Branch Rickey Sent out scouts to Chicago then they focused on Jackie Robinson.

Then in august 1945 Rickey sent out a scout to meet with Jackie and told him he should come back with him to talk to Rickey about joining the Brown Dodgers. Jackies Meeting was one of the most famous meetings of his career. Then he got the job as a pitcher. But Rickey got mad at him and swung his fist and said,” what do u do”? He couldn’t give a reason so he said i’m sorry.

Then he signed up for the Montreal Royals went to Venezuela to play in a black all-star league. Jackie broke the color baseball barrier. Then a year later he signed up again for the Royals’ and had a hitting average at .349 in 1946. Then Rickey in 1949 let Jackie sign up for the Dodgers. At first Mr. Rickey thought it would bring bad publicity but he thought it would brake barriers.

Then other doors from the dodger would open for blacks. After a while people and some of the players got mad at the Dodgers and they hated the black players then Pee Wee Reese eased Jackies Acceptance but players and fans. The 1947 season put a lot of pressure on Jackie but held in and he score very well. Through the years he played with the Dodger he had six world series awards. Then Jackie was moved to first base because of Gil Hodges.

Then after baseball He was put into the Hall of Fame and he did a famous speech. His son was killed in a car crash in 1971. Jackie died at the age of 53.