This Day In History - Jackie Robinson Day

42

          As we all know by now April 15th is Jackie Robinson day in Major League Baseball. Every player on every team honors Jackie by wearing the number as their jersey number as well as leaving their names off the back of the jerseys. April 15th is the day we celebrate Jackie Robinson because on this day in 1947 was Opening Day when Jackie Robinson officially broke the color barrier in baseball by making his first big leagues appearance with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Younger Days

          Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. He would later in life attended UCLA where he was the first student-athlete to letter in 4 sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. After college, from 1942 to 1944 he would serve in the U.S Army. Jackie was honorably discharged for facing insubordination charges because he refused to move to the back of the bus. 

Leading Up To April 15, 1947

          Once discharged from the Army, Jackie would play Shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League. It would be around that time Dodgers GM Branch Rickey who was set out to end the unofficial segregation rule in Major League Baseball began recruiting Robinson. Shortly after Jackie would join the Brooklyn Dodgers farm team the Montreal Royals. It was for the Royals that Jackie would go on to lead that league in batting.

April 10, 1947

          On April 10, 1947 Jackie officially signed his first Major League contract as the Brooklyn Dodgers bought his contract out from the Montreal Royals. Just 5 days later is when he began his Major League career with the Dodgers and the reason why on this day every year since 2004 every player on every MLB team wears the number 42.

MLB Career

          Jackie who went through countless documented and undocumented rough patches in his career went on to have a very successful 10 year career in Major League Baseball. Robinson is a 6x All-Star, won Rookie of the Year, MVP, a Batting Title, and the 1955 World Series with the Dodgers. He finished with a career .311 average, 464 extra base hits (137 HRs), 734 RBIs, and .409 OBP. Jackie's career was topped off with an induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962.