Why Jackie Robinson was Chosen
to Break the Color Barrier!
Jackie's Upbringing
• Jackie's father left the family when Jackie was
only 1 year old.
• He had to help his mother take care of his 4
brothers and sisters.
• The family was in virtual poverty so Jackie was
excluded from many athletic activities. This
helped him build his strong character.
Just Jackie
• Jackie Robinson was a four sport athlete at UCLA
playing football, basketball, track, and baseball.
• He served in the army for 2 years as a second
lieutenant but was arrested and discharged
because he refused to sit in the back of a
segregated bus during boot camp.
• He was court martial and then later honorably
discharged.
• This showed he was not afraid by appealing the
court martial in an appropriate way.
Jackie as a Baseball Player
• Before Jackie integrated major league
baseball, he played in the negro leagues.
• He played for the Kansas City Monarchs one of
the best teams in the negro leagues.
Why was Jackie Picked????
One of the reasons Jackie Robinson was chosen to
break the color barrier was because Branch
Rickey knew Jackie Robinson had the strength of
character, not just the talent, to over-come the
taunts that would come.
Being Chosen to Integrate Baseball
• In 1947 Branch Rickey, owner of the
Brooklyn dodgers brought Jackie Robinson
into his office.
• They told him he would be hassled,
threatened, and harassed. Jackie promised
not to fight back, which ultimately helped
Branch Rickey choose Jackie to integrate
baseball.
Jackie
• Jackie Robinson was 28 years old when he
broke the color barrier and played his first
MLB game against the Boston Braves in
Brooklyn.
Why Jackie Robinson is Important to
Baseball.
Jackie Robinson was the best choice to integrate
baseball. If any other black baseball player
was chosen to break the color barrier things in
baseball today may have been much different.
If any other player was chosen they could have
reacted differently to the racism. They could
have retaliated and received negative criticism
to get them kicked out of baseball, but Jackie
always kept his composure.
Still Affecting Players Today
• Without Jackie, other blacks may never have
had the opportunity to play pro baseball.
• Every April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day. All MLB
players honor him by wearing the #42 on this
day.
How Good was Jackie Robinson at
Baseball?
• Jackie had a career batting average of .311
his highest season batting average was .342!!
• He is the only player ever to steal every base
in one on base.
• He was the first black rookie of the year. His
number is retired by all 30 teams. He's a six
time all-star. He was elected in to the Major
league hall of fame in 1962.
• Jackie helped integrate all sports. The current
percent of colored players in professional
baseball is 38.5 percent.
• The total percent in all sports is approximately
40%.
• None of these players would have had the
opportunity if it weren't for Jackie Robinson
paving the way.
Sources
• Biography.com-info about Jackie's life and time in the army
• Mlb.com- help with Jackie's baseball statistics.
• Huffingtonpost.com-info on blacks in professional sports
• Yahooanswers.com- info about Jackie's life and career.
• Jackie Robinson biography, “Jackie Robinsons 7 values to live
by”- for in depth info about his personal life and family
• Youtube.com- Jackie Robinson Barrier Breaker, Jackie Robinson's
#42 - What the Number Means to the Game