Jackie Roosevelt (Jackie) Robinson was the first black person to ever be at bat in the Major Leagues, and made his name famous. But now, everyone seems to have forgotten this great legend. So I hope that this will refresh your memory, had if youve never heard of him this is what happened in his life: Born on January 31 1919 in Cairo Ga. , Jack Roosevelt (Jackie) Robinson, he was raised on the Sasser Plantation. He grew up without a father who left for Florida with another mans wife, leaving his real wife (Mallie Robinson) to raise five kids: Mack, Jack, Edgar, Willa Mae, and Franck, on her own.
After his father left Jacks family became poor and had to live in a cabin. Soon after that, in 1920, Mallie sold a few of her familys things and the family boarded a train to California. They bought a house on Pepper Street in Pasadena. As child, Jackie enjoyed sports as much as the next kid did. Just before he started school, he became ill with Diphtheria and almost died! He was an average student at his school, in the playground he realized that his amazing talent in sports made him stand made him stand out. More than once he came home with a pocket full of change or an extra lunch, because the kids bribed him into playing on their team.
But his childhood wasnt all-good, because all of his friendships ended after each game. Lucky for him he had four siblings to spend time with, who were all great athletes, including Willa Mae who was amazing at basketball. He also had some immigrant friends who called themselves “The Pepper Street Gang”. Together they challenged white groups in sports for money.
Jacks skills bloomed all the way through grade school and into high school. At Washington Junior High Scholl, he played basketball, baseball, football, and track, leading his team for each sport. They made it to many of the championships to. Jacks significant Atlanta exploded when he entered Muir Technical High School. He excelled at every thing. He became faster, and more agile making the football, baseball, basketball, and track teams.
As for baseball, Jackie played catcher, even earned a spot on the state All Star team. Despite all that, baseball was his least favorite sport, and which gave him the most difficulty later on. During his senior years at Muir, Jacks life wasnt the best. At his last football game he was injured in the ribs by an opponent after a kick off, and was out of the game.
The team lost 19-0. His chances at a scholarship were limited because of the rib injury. Robinson graduated from high school, and enrolled in Pasadena Junior Collage in 1937. He was in college for sports meanwhile his mother wanted him to become a doctor or lawyer. He joined the football team in 1937, but broke his ankle, and had no choice but to sit out half the season.
With out him, his team submitted to 4 losses in a row. When he recovered a bit, he led the team to win 5 games and tie 1. After fully recovering, he went onto basketball. He lead his team in scoring rite away, and found that he was the attention of the opposing teams defense.
Despite his talent, abuse was a problem. In one game an opposing player, Sam Babich from Long Beach kept on taunting, and fouling him. But by the end of the game, Babich was out cold after picking a fight with Jackie. His basketball season ended, and he started track, and baseball.
In track he broke his older brothers collage record with a jump of 25 6. 5". . .
. . ;. In baseball ha lead with a batting average of . 417 and a total of 25 stolen bases.
He continued dazzling everyone with his baseball skills, and even got a scholarship to UCLA in 1938. He played football there, and his friends were thinking about careers in the NFL, but for Jackie it was almost impossible because the NFL was as white as the Major Leagues. Now most people know that from 1939 to 1945 Word War II was going on, and therefore Jackie was .
