Реферат: Jackie Robinson Breaking The Color Barrier

Although having many friends now, Jackie will never forget his long time

friends Pee Wee Reese and Ralph Branca who stood by him when nobody else

was. Things kept getting better and better for Jackie the pitches at his head

when he was up stopped, most of the racial slurs have stopped, and Jackie was

finally being treated like a real baseball player not like a black person. Jackie lead the league in steels, ranked second in runs scored, and he won the Rookie of the Year Award which was later renamed the Jackie Robinson Award. That year Jackie also lead his team to a World Series appearance. Nearly a year after Jackie had first broke the serration barrier many other teams were catching on. Rickey signed Roy Campanella a star from the Negro Leagues. By this time almost every team had at least one black player on it. At this time most fans had come to judge a player by its ability not the color the color of there skin. (Shorto, Russell p. 22-24)

Jackie was still fighting on and he continued to still be a great player but

now he was able to voice his opinion and act just like every other baseball player should without having such sever consequitions as was year before. In 1949 Jackie won the National League batting championship and was voted the

league s Most Valuable Player the same year. During Jackie s 10 years with the

Dodgers he led them to 6 World Series and was a supported base runner leading

the National League twice in stolen bases and still having the respect of everyone. (Shorto, Russell p. 24-25)

Jackie had everything he ever wanted but he still felt unfulfilled. He decide

to spend some of his time helping blacks in as many ways has he can. He turned

his attention to Harlem and to donate money where ever he could. He got

together with the director of the YMCA of Harlem and suggested things that he

could do and other people could do to better the YMCA program. During the

1948 season Rudolph Thomas the director of the Y asked Jackie to sign on as a

coach for the YMCA. Jackie accepted immediately and Roy Campanella signed

on to, to offer his support any way he could. (Flanker, David p. 183-190)

In 1956 Jackie knew his time was coming to a end he decided he would retire at the end of the year. His legs weren t has great has they used to be and the weight of the bat felt so heavy in Jackies hands. That year Walter O Malley surprised Jackie saying he was traded to the New York Giants but Jackie came back saying he was retiring. Robinsons retirement was controversial because it was shrouded in secrecy and politics-just like his signing in 1945. After that year the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to L.A. and for many people when Jackie retired they said that it was and of a great era of baseball that will never be forgotten. (David Flanker p. 249, Shorto, Russell p. 24-25)

Jackie Robinson was a great man who rose above the segragation barrier

and all the problems he indered and set great new standards for all blacks

everywhere to come by gaining the respect of everyone. It was a great time

period and it will never be forgotten.