Sometimes, MLB and ESPN really get things right. The all day celebration of Jackie Robinson Day today was made even more poignant with the backdrop of the declining numbers of African American players entering the Major Leagues. It is hard to imagine today, but almost two decades before the Black Panthers, two decades before Martin Luther King, two decades before Selma, Jackie Robinson forced baseball, no, forced America to reevaluate itself and its promise. That just cannot be understated.
One thing that Jackie Robinson Day definitely did was educate people about the incredible accomplishments of Jackie Robinson. It is worth noting that not only was he great at baseball, tennis, football and track and field. In my opinion, he was an even greater athlete than Jim Brown.
In 1935, Robinson graduated from Dakota Junior High School and enrolled in John Muir High School ("Muir Tech"). There he played on various Muir Tech sport teams, and lettered in four of them. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a member of the tennis team and the track and field squad. He won awards in the broad jump.
In 1936, he captured the junior boys singles championship in the annual Pacific Coast Negro Tennis Tournament, starred as quarterback, and earned a place on the annual Pomona baseball tournament all-star team, which included future Major League Baseball Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Bob Lemon. The next year, Jackie played for the high school's basketball team. That year, the Pasadena Star-News newspaper reported on the young Robinson.
After leaving Muir, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College and played both football and baseball. He played quarterback and safety for the football team, shortstop and leadoff batter for the baseball team, and participated in the broad jump.
In 1938, he was elected to the All-Southland Junior College (baseball) Team and selected as the region's Most Valuable Player. On February 4, 1939, he played his last basketball game at Pasadena Junior College. Thereupon Robinson was awarded a gold pin and was named to the school's "Order of the Mast and Dagger.”
To add insult to injury, Jackie served his country in the Military during World War Two and upon his return was not allowed to play in the Major Leagues. Finally, in 1947, Jackie joined the Dogders. For two years he said nothing about the deplorable conditions blacks faced in this country. Such was his deal with the Dodgers.
Finally, he was allowed to play in the Major Leagues and quickly won Rookie of the year in 1947, was a Six time All-Star. Three years into his career he won the NL batting title and the League MVP. This was truly a great American Athlete, and an even greater American who deserves to have everyone remember his legacy.
4 comments:
Obv. they've been showing a lot of highlights of #42 lately, and just as obv. he looks like a Player out there. If the Sox had him these days, where would we put Iguchi? Shortstop?
Unfortunately for jr, by the time he joined the majors he was in his late twenties. He may have played several sports very well, but against arguably marginal competition. Perhaps the greatest athletes are Jimmy Brown and Wilt. JB played lettered in baseball, track, football and Lacrosse. In fact lacrosse was his greatest sport-he is still known as the greatest lacrosse player who ever lived. Wilt qualified for the 1960 olympics in the 440(shocking) and the high jump aside from his bball talent. jr was indeed very talented, but due to circumstances his timing was not perfect.
good post. you're right, i definitely learned a lot about robinson in the last several days.
Jim Thorpe. I'm not sure of his stats, but he was another guy who played in tonnes of sports and even in the Olympics.
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