Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Jackie Robinson: Signing his contract| world series| Movie 42
Signing his contract:
Nearly 72 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Four days prior, he made history by becoming the first black player to sign with a Major League team.
On Monday, Robinson’s first contract from April 11, 1947 — signed by Robinson, Dodgers President Branch Rickey and National League Ford Frick — went up for auction along with his 1945 Minor League contract with the Montreal Royals.
The items together have been appraised at $36 million with bidding starting at $5 million. According to the company auctioning the contracts, 10 percent of the final price will be donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which provides college scholarships for students of color.
World Series:
They stood together, side by side, in front of the home dugout and posed for the cameras. Jackie Robinson, left hand on his hip, cradled in his right hand the barrel of a bat that Phillies manager Ben Chapman gripped by the handle.
In one frame, Robinson and Chapman smiled at one another. In the next, they gazed straight ahead.
Seventy-five years later, the photo endures to mark an occasion, if little else. Robinson, the first African American player in Major League Baseball, was poised to play his first game in a city other than New York for the Brooklyn Dodgers; Chapman’s Phillies were the host.
Movie 42:
Jackie Robinson burst onto the scene in 1947. He quickly became baseball’s top drawing card and a symbol of hope for millions of Americans.
In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number 42. In 1997, Major League Baseball “universally” retired his uniform number, 42, across all Major League teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be honored.
As historic moments go, it didn’t get more significant. A photo before a night game at Shibe Park seemed wholly appropriate, the perfect commemoration to send directly to Cooperstown.
