Born: January 31, 1919
Died: October 24, 1972
Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut on April 15, 1947, for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball’s seemingly unbreakable color line. He was 28 and had already been making headlines in California newspapers for more than a decade as one of the country’s best and most versatile athletes. There didn’t seem to be a sport that Robinson couldn’t master.
Robinson was born in Georgia and grew up in Pasadena, California. His older brother, Mack, finished second in the 200-meter dash in the 1936 Olympics behind Jesse Owens. This meant that in a large percentage of the stories written about Jackie Robinson’s early accomplishments, he would be referred to as the “brother of Mack Robinson, Olympic sprinter.” He was also referred to in several other “colorful” ways as you’ll also read.
At Muir High, Robinson was a star on the football, basketball, track and baseball teams. He also dabbled in tennis …
Robinson easily turned back B. Devine, 6-1, 6-2, to win the crown in the 15 to 18-years class [at the Pacific Coast Negro tennis tournament].” The Pasadena Post, September 7, 1936
Led by Jackie Robinson, dusky sharp shooter, who ran off with high scoring honors with a 16 point total, Coach Al (Weary) Walton’s Muir Tech class “A” basketball team defeated Eagle Rock High, 36 to 30, at Muir Tech yesterday. The Pasadena Post, January 6, 1937
From Muir, it was on to Pasadena J.C. where Robinson once again starred in football, basketball, track, and baseball.
Jackie Robinson, Pasadena J. C. shortstop, created a sensation when he stole second, third and home for a run in the third inning. The Pasadena Post, March 27, 1937
Jackie Robinson, colored speedster, had a big day at the plate, banging out five hits in six trips. The Pasadena Post, April 25, 1937
Football may have been Robinson’s best sport back then. Or maybe it was track. The 1937 Compton Second Annual Invitational Track and Field Meet was Mack Robinson’s final meet for Pasadena J.C. He won the 100-meters, 200-meters, and finished second in the long jump (23-4 ½).). His younger brother was third (23-2 ½).
Robinson played quarterback on offense and safety on defense. Big things were expected of him at Pasadena J.C. However …
Tragedy hit Coach Tom Mallory of the Pasadena Junior College football team when Jackie Robinson, one of the outstanding players on the squad, wrenched his ankle and chipped a bone in his right leg, in a hard scrimmage. The dark-hued former Muir Tech quarterback probably will be out of action a month. The Pasadena Post, September 16, 1937
Robinson made his debut in a 0-0 tie with Compton J.C. on October 29. A week later he made his first big splash in a 25-7 win against Loyola University’s freshman team.
Robinson brought the stands to their feet with a 92-yeard run of an intercepted pass in the late stages of the second period for the third score. Johnny Peck, Loyola half[back], tossed a pass into the flat, but Robinson raced in, took the ball and scooted down the sidelines and scored standing up. The Pasadena Post, November 7, 1937
Sparked-plugged by a dark-hued phantom of the gridiron, Jackie Robinson, the Pasadena Junior College eleven won the first annual city championship from Coach Fox Stanton’s Caltech team 12 to 0, last night before 18,000 Crown City fans in the Rose Bowl. The Pasadena Post, November 25, 1937
From the gridiron, Robinson moved on to the basketball court …
But Jackie Robinson, Pasadena forward, stole the show. The Pasadenan hit the basket from all angles to carry off individual honors with 18 points. The Modesto Bee And News-Herald, December 21, 1937
And then it was on to the track …
… Jackie Robinson of Pasadena who soared 25ft. 6 ½ in. to break his brother Mack’s accepted record. Mack, representing Pasadena last year, had jumped 25ft. 5 ½ in. Jackie, a versatile lad who has starred in four major sports over the past year, had one long jump of 24ft. 5 in. before sailing forth on his record-smashing leap. The Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1938
The record referred to in the story was the national junior college record. To put Jackie’s jump into perspective, Jesse Owens jumped 26-feet, 5 ¼ inches to set a new world record at the 1936 Olympics. Robinson’s winning leap would have placed him 4th at the Olympics.
Jackie Robinson, the versatile athlete at Pasadena junior college … is considered the greatest college baseball player in America today … but he will never play professional baseball in the Coast or major leagues … because he is a negro … if you have race prejudices, we will say it’s a doggoned shame … The Pomona Progress, May 10, 1938
This describes what Robinson and the other top Black baseball players were up against. The color line was long and wide. Robinson had a an even more impressive 1938 football season as he led Pasadena to an undefeated record.
Paced by the free-wheeling dusky ball of fire, Jackie Robinson, the Pasadena Bulldogs have rolled up 70 points already this season against Santa Ana and San Bernardino, two of the toughest teams in the conference. Ventura County Star-Free Press, September 30, 1938
Have you noticed a trend in the descriptions of Robinson? Some of the others in articles about him from these years included: dusky sharpshooter, sensational colored ace, black lightning and colored speedster. It was a much-different time.
From Pasadena, Robinson moved on to UCLA where he (of course) starred in football, basketball and track. And, surprisingly, he played very little baseball.
Oregon did all the work, but U.C.L.A. won the ball game, 16 to 6, yesterday at the Coliseum. Forty-five thousand pigskin patrons saw … Jackie Robinson, in two super-sensational explosions, scatter dead Ducks [Oregon’s nickname] all over the premises … The Los Angeles Times, October 29, 1939
In another article in the Times the same day …
[Oregon Coach Tex Oliver] praised a fleet black boy named Jackie Robinson, who ran 82 yards to one Bruin score. “You need mechanized cavalry to stop him,” said the popular Oregon coach. “He runs as fast at three-quarters speed as the average player, and he still has that extra quarter to draw upon.”
Owens won the long jump at the 1940 NCAA Championship Meet with a leap of 24 feet, 10 ¼ inches. He would have been a favorite for a berth on the 1940 U.S. Olympic team and a medal contender, but the Olympics were cancelled in 1940 and 1944 due to the war.
Because excellence in five sports wasn’t enough …
Following track, Robinson found himself at the school’s semester’s end. Just to keep himself busy, he took up golf. The first time he shot an even 100. Working twice a week for a month on his golf, Robinson lowered that par to the low 80s. Give him time – he’ll be in the 70s. The Oakland Post Enquirer, October 17, 1940
Robinson was drafted by the Army in 1942 and …
CAMP HOOD, Tex. – Second Lt. Jackie Robinson, former football and basketball star at UCLA, recently transferred from the 761st Tank Battalion to the 758th Tank Battalion here, is awaiting general court-martial trial under the 95th Article of War on a charge of insubordination. According to information received by The Pittsburgh Courier, Lieutenant Robinson was arrested Monday of last week at the post by military policemen after the young officer and a bus driver engaged in an argument. The Pittsburgh Courier, August 5, 1944
The story above was one of the very few newspaper articles written about this incident. In an event that pre-dates Rosa Parks, Robinson was on a military bus and was told by the driver to get up from his seat near the front and move to the back. He refused, citing recent military orders that stated Army buses were to be desegregated. An argument ensued and Robinson was eventually charged with insubordination … and subsequently found innocent of all charges by an all-white military jury. Click here for a more in-depth story on the incident.
It doesn’t seem right to end Robinson’s story here, although it was an indication of the racism to come after he made baseball history and became known from coast-to-coast. Let’s finish with some historic news …
For the first time in the 70-year history of organized baseball, an acknowledged Negro has been signed to a playing contract. The historic event took place in Montreal yesterday, when Brooklyn’s top farm club hired Jack Roosevelt Robinson, the Jumping Jackie of UCLA football fame. He will try out with the Dodgers next Spring, but is slated for seasoning with Montreal … [Robinson] played the infield for more than 100 games with the Kansas City Monarchs, Negro champions, and batted .340. His new contract called not only for a regular players salary, but also a bonus. New York Daily News, October 24, 1945
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