75 years ago, Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson signed a professional contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers—a decision that would soon change the course of Major League Baseball history. Today, Robinson’s legacy is unmatched, not only in baseball but well into all facets of life.
Less than two years after Robinson signed with the Dodgers to go play with their minor league affiliate Montreal Royals, he was called up to the major leagues during the 1947 season. Opening day for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 season was on April 15, a date that would later be one of the most important days in MLB history.
73 years ago, today the Dodgers would face the Boston Braves in Brooklyn and Robinson would be in the starting lineup, batting second for the Dodgers while playing first base. Before Robinson the last player who broke the color, barrier was Moses Fleetwood Walker in 1884, however, when it was found out that Walker was not of Latin American decent—like they claimed he was—he was no longer allowed to play professional baseball.
Between 1884 and 1947 no African American ball players were in the MLB because of a gentleman’s agreement to keep the game “pure”. That agreement was broken by the Dodgers general manager at the time Branch Rickey.
Like Robinson, Rickey was looked at as an outcast during this time due to breaking the agreement. Rickey did not care about that, he wanted to make sure the right thing was done by giving every player a fair chance. This was made true by giving the opportunity to Jackie Robinson to help break the stigma of the time and allow all people to play baseball, Robinson just had to follow one little rule.
He was not allowed to fight back during his first couple of seasons.
This rule may seem like it doesn’t make any sense, but when you take a deeper look at it, it made total sense. If Robinson fought back during his early time in the league, then it would have proven every owner in the league right at the time that African Americans did not belong in the MLB because they were not levelheaded enough.
Because of this rule Robinson had to deal with constant heckling and racism on and off the field during this time. However, Jackie was able to keep his cool on even though the hate may have been building up on the inside. Jackie was able to pave the way for many African-American ballplayers because he was able to remain calm during this time, as he would say to fellow players in the league who wanted to make progress but felt it was lacking “Forget about bitter. Try to make things better”.
That is what Robinson did in every aspect of his life, sure he could have been bitter about every single obstacle that he had to face over his life, but his outlook on life made it so he was always looking to make things better in the most bitter situation.
During his playing days and even after his baseball days were over, Robinson was a large advocate for civil rights and became one of the largest faces of the time for the movement that was necessary within the United States.
Due to Robinson’s great ability on the field and the everlasting impact that Robinson had on the game, he was enshrined in Cooperstown during his first year of eligibility in 1962.
Robinson, who had lived a full life then passed away nine days after throwing out the first pitch of the 1972 World Series in October 24.
Robinson had built a foundation and legacy that lives on today which not only allows any person to be able to play the game he loved but a legacy that changed the rest of the country along with sports. In 1997 Major League Baseball universally retired number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. In 2005 commissioner Bud Selig said that every April 15 would be honored as Jackie Robinson day, and in 2009 as part of Jackie Robinson day each player would honor him in wearing number 42.
As baseball is not going on right now because of the current state of the world, take this time to remember Robinson and everything he stood for, not only in baseball but overall as a person. When things were rough it seemed like Jackie would shine the brightest, he would not get bitter, he would only look for a way to make things better.