Jackie Robinson's Number Retireds In Sports

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Jackie Robinson Did you know that having your number retired in sports is considered one of the highest accomplishments someone can achieve? If someone 's number is retired, it is usually retired from just one team. In fact, only one play in Major League Baseball history has his number retired across the entire league. That player is Jackie Robinson. Besides his incredible career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, his number is retired for what he represents. While most people recognize him as the first African American is MLB, there is much more to his life that is often overlooked. Because Jackie Robinson grew up during the segregation, his early life presented him with many setbacks, which he had to overcome. Solipsis.com explains that Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. His family were sharecroppers on a plantation in Georgia. This lifestyle was harsh, and it made his family rather poor. When Robinson was about 6 months old, his family moved out to California. Early on, Jackie 's mother inspired her family to challenge racial thought by buying a house in a white neighborhood. She taught Jackie to stand up for his rights and demand respect because she never allowed the white neighbors to run her out or mistreated her children. Since he grew up during the segregation, Jackie often faced racial torment in his life. Because of this, he spent a majority of his time focusing on sports. He learned that playing sports also brought friendships with the white kids. His athletic ability and determination opened the eyes on many colleges. After staring in four sports in high school, Jackie Robinson received and athletic scholarship from UCLA. He became the first person at UCLA to letter in four sports, being football, basketball, baseball, and track. Jackie Robinson was a fierce competitor in every sport he played. In fact, he was set to go to the 1940 olympics as a 200 meter runner before they were cancelled due to World War Two (Anderson, The Life of Jackie Robinson). After college, Jackie Robinson did not directly enter into the MLB. Biography.com walks through his life after college. In 1941, Jackie Robinson moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. Here, he played semi-professional football for the Honolulu Bears. He continued to play for the Bears until he entered the army to fight during for World War Two. From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the army. He was a commander of a tank battalion, but never actually fought during the war. He never saw the war because he stood up for what he believed. While in Texas, he refused to give up his seat on the bus when ordered by the bus driver. Robinson was arrested and court-martialed, but was eventually honorably discharged due to his good reputation, help from friends, and public concern of injustice caused by the NAACP shared his story. His courage and moral objection to segregation strengthened …show more content…
The Society of American Baseball Research describes the retirement of his number. On June 4, 1972 , which was just a few months before Robinson 's death at age 53, the Dodgers retired his number, 42. Twenty-five years later, they number 42 was universally retired from MLB. To this day, no player has ever worn number 42 in MLB, with one exception. Because Robinson debuted on April 15, the MLB now celebrates Jackie Robinson Day. On this day, every player on every team wears the number 42. It 's an amazing tribute to the man that changed the face of MLB. After his death, Robinson continued to be honored. In 1984, president Ronald Reagan awarded him with its the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award that can be given to citizens for their contributions to world peace or other endeavors. Later on, President George W. Bush awarded Jackie Robinson with the Congressional Gold Medal. This is the highest award that the legislative branch can give to a citizen for his contributions to American history. Lastly, following his death in 1972, Rachel Robinson, Jackie 's wife, started the Jackie Robinson Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that helps minority kids attend college through scholarship help and advisement. Jackie Robinson has left a lasting legacy that continues to be honored today (Swaine, Jackie

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