Essay --

Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Ozzie Smith, and Tony Gwynn What do they either have in common? They are all some of the most famous African-American baseball players to ever play in the Major Leagues. One man, though, do it possible for all of them to play in the Major Leagues. That mans name is Jackie Robinson. Although Jackie Robinson faced many adversities throughout his life cadence, he persevered and became the first African-American in Major League baseball, breaking the color barrier and ever-changing the world of baseball forever. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, to Jerry and Mallie Robinson. chairman Theodore Roosevelt, who died twenty-five days before Robinson was born, was the inspiration for his middle name (42 Facts). Robinsons first stint with adversity came just six months after he was born when his amaze abandoned the family and ran off to Texas with the neighbors wife. Robinson and his intravenous feeding older siblings we re raised single-handedly by their mother. After his dad creaky the family, Robinsons mother decided to sell what little they had and move herself and her children in with her brother in Pasadena, California (Robinson, Jackie). While his mother was at work, Robinson would go to school with his older sister, Willa Mae, but since he was not old bountiful to be enrolled, he would often times have to sit in the sandbox outside of the school all day. Robinsons first picture with racial scrutiny came when he was about eight years old. He was sweeping the sidewalk when a little white neighbor daughter shouted Nigger, nigger, nigger at him. He was old enough to have a go at it how to respond and did so by calling the little girl cracker. Her father stormed out of the house to confront Rob... ...ican TV sports analyst. He broadcasted for ABCs MLB Game of the Week in 1965 (42 Facts). On October 24, 1972, Robinson died from complications of diabetes in Stamford, Connecticut, at the boa rd of 53. Many people say the diabetes worsened because of the stress he was downstairs throughout his life. In June of that year, the Dodgers retired Robinsons uniform number of 42 and all the teams in the league began to follow and also retire the number 42. Baseball would be extremely different than it is now if it was not for Jackie Robinson. He did not just break the color barrier, he showed this country that if you never fall up, great things can happen. He brought whites and blacks together in a time where it was hard to do such a thing. Jackie Robinson will always be one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game. After all, he was pushed to be the greatest.