2008 Woodie Awards
Black History Month
Jackie Robinson: a baseball legend
Sam Summers
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Big Red Sports
Jack "Jackie" Roosevelt Robinson was born on Jan. 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five children, born in Cairo, Georgia to a sharecropper. After his father abandoned the family, the Robinsons moved to Pasadena, California where the Robinson children grew up in relative poverty. Jackie joined a local neighborhood gang in his youth and attended John Muir High School (nicknamed Muir Tech). At JMHS, Jackie played on various sport teams. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, a quarterback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, a member of the tennis team and the track and field squad.
After high school, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College and played football and baseball. In 1938 he was elected to the All-Southland Junior College Baseball Team and selected as the region's Most Valuable Player. Jackie left Pasadena Junior College to attend the UCLA in 1939. There, he was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team that played then national champion, USC to a 0-0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. Despite many athletic achievements and nearly completing his degree, he withdrew from the UCLA for financial reasons in 1941.
In 1942, Jackie was drafted into the United States Army. During his training with the 761st "Black Panthers" Tank Battalion, Robinson refused to move to the back of the segregated bus when ordered by the white bus driver. He was arrested by the Military police, transferred to the 758th Battalion to undergo a court marshal and then acquitted of insubordination charges by a white military jury. Shortly there after he was honorably discharged from the military without having seen any combat.
Jackie joined the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs baseball team in 1945. While on the team he batted an amazing .387 which brought him to the attention of the then Brooklyn Dodgers, general manager Branch Rickey. Rickey selected Robinson from a list of promising young black players.
After high school, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College and played football and baseball. In 1938 he was elected to the All-Southland Junior College Baseball Team and selected as the region's Most Valuable Player. Jackie left Pasadena Junior College to attend the UCLA in 1939. There, he was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team that played then national champion, USC to a 0-0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. Despite many athletic achievements and nearly completing his degree, he withdrew from the UCLA for financial reasons in 1941.
In 1942, Jackie was drafted into the United States Army. During his training with the 761st "Black Panthers" Tank Battalion, Robinson refused to move to the back of the segregated bus when ordered by the white bus driver. He was arrested by the Military police, transferred to the 758th Battalion to undergo a court marshal and then acquitted of insubordination charges by a white military jury. Shortly there after he was honorably discharged from the military without having seen any combat.
Jackie joined the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs baseball team in 1945. While on the team he batted an amazing .387 which brought him to the attention of the then Brooklyn Dodgers, general manager Branch Rickey. Rickey selected Robinson from a list of promising young black players.
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