Jackie Robinson, 'NO. 42,' the legend who broke the MLB color barrier, later had his number permanently retired league-wide and is well-known even among current baseball fans.
"N***** quit baseball and go back to the cotton fields right now" (A real taunt he received from an opposing team during a game). The start of his career was anything but smooth. Just for being Black, he faced boos from the crowd and ostracization from his own teammates starting from his debut game, and had to overcome rough tackles, headshots from opponents, and biased calls from umpires during games.
But Robinson overcame all these trials and tribulations, recording a .383 batting average, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs in his 1947 debut season, becoming the first-ever Rookie of the Year in Major League history.
In 1949, his third year, he was named League MVP with a performance of a .342 average, 16 homers, and 124 RBIs, making a name for himself across the baseball world and American society at large.
He maintained his consistency afterward, being selected for the All-Star team 6 years in a row from '49 to '54. Over 8 years and 1160 games, he recorded a career line of .319 average, 119 HR, 655 RBI, and 54.7 WAR. Yet, there was one thing Robinson hadn't achieved:
A championship. Robinson experienced the World Series 4 times in 8 years, but in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953, he lost to the New York Yankees every single time, finishing as the runner-up four times.
The 1955 World Series, Robinson’s 9th season. The Yankees and Dodgers met again after a two-year gap.
After a grueling 7-game showdown, the Dodgers crushed the Yankees 4-3, achieving their first championship in franchise history. The next season, they met the Yankees again in the World Series, losing Game 5 and giving up the first-ever World Series perfect game, finishing runner-up.
Having achieved Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a championship over 9 years, everyone thought Robinson would walk the flowery path until retirement.
However, Robinson, who was 36 at the time, hit a sharp aging curve exactly during their championship season, posting a career-low average of .256 with 8 home runs. The following year, he suffered from Type 1 diabetes, lost interest in baseball, and frequently caused trouble by arguing with the manager.
The manager at the time was Walter Alston, a famous strategist who led the Dodgers for 23 years, securing four championships (including the franchise's first), and is a retired number/Hall of Famer for the Dodgers. (Fun fact: He was a difficult man who showed pure madness by signing 23 consecutive one-year contracts without ever getting an extension.)
Anyway, the club, displeased with Robinson, traded him to the rival New York Giants on December 13, 1956, during the offseason, shocking the league.
But Robinson declared his retirement on January 5, 1957, stating he couldn't face the Dodgers wearing a rival's uniform.
By retiring, Robinson defended his 'Dodgers One-Club Man' title. He finished his brilliant 10-year Big League career somewhat lonely, recording 1382 games, .311 average, 137 HR, .883 OPS, and 6 All-Star appearances. (FYI, the 1946 KCM record is from the Negro League team, the Kansas City Monarchs, where he played before his debut.)
After retirement, he went into business and actively worked to create jobs for Black Americans, focusing on hiring Black employees and supporting vocational training. He also maintained connections with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Five years after retiring, in 1962, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
(Willie Mays, the star of the legendary 'The Catch') Naturally, thanks to Robinson, countless Black superstars who would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame—including Willie Mays (1951), Ernie Banks (1953), Hank Aaron (1954), and Roberto Clemente (1955)—were able to debut.
In 1997, his uniform number 42 was permanently retired by every team in the league.
December 13, 1956. The day Jackie Robinson was traded from the Dodgers to the Giants.
"From reflecting on the absolutely brutal racism he faced to debating the specifics of the league-wide jersey retirement (and tossing in a few random K-community baseball memes)."
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