Jack Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. He was an American professional baseball player and had broken the baseball color line at the Brooklyn Dodgers base in 1947. And in 1962, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of the Fame.
He also won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and was an All-Star for six straight seasons from 1949 through 1954. In 1949, he was also named National League Most Valuable Player. Similarly, he appeared in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers’ 1995 World Series victory.
However, MLB retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams in 1997, making him the only professional athlete to do so. On April 15, 2004, the MLB instituted a new yearly tradition known as Jackie Robinson Day. Most of his fans are inspired to be the best they can be by his nonviolent personality and talent. He was also the first black MLB broadcast analyst and vice president of Chock full o’Nuts, a significant American firm. He also helped to found the Freedom National Bank in New York.
After his death, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Here are a couple of Jackie Robinson’s statements to remember.
“A life is only valuable in terms of the impact it has on other people’s lives.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“There will be no free Americans in this country until all of us are free.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Pop flies are, in some ways, merely a diversion for a second baseman.” Grounders are his specialty.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Personal dignity is the most luxurious possession, the richest treasure someone has.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I’m not concerned with whether you like or dislike me… All I ask is that you treat me with dignity as a human being.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Life is not a spectator sport. If you spend your entire life in the grandstand just watching what happens, you’re wasting your existence, in my opinion.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“In baseball, the black press, some liberal sportswriters, and even a few politicians were hammering away at Jim Crow obstacles.” I never imagined the walls would fall in my lifetime.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
There are 97 Derek Jeter quotes that will help you.
“When I think back on what I had to go through in black baseball, I can only admire the numerous black players who stayed in the Jim Crow leagues for years because they had nowhere else to go.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Baseball is a lot like poker.” Nobody wants him to give up while he’s losing, and nobody wants you to give up when you’re winning.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I speak exclusively as an American who happens to be an American Negro and is proud of his background.” We make no particular requests. We only ask that we be allowed to compete on an equal footing, and if we are not worthy, the competition will eliminate us.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I felt confined and miserable.” What might I do if I quit baseball? What could I do to earn enough money to help my mother and marry Rachel? The solution to my difficulty was just a few days away, in the hands of a tough, astute, and brave guy named Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I can’t believe I have it so good while so many of my black brothers and sisters are hungry, improperly housed, inadequately dressed, denied their dignity as they live in slums or barely survive on welfare.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Many people despised my impatience and candor, but I never valued acceptability as much as I valued respect.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I believe that if we look back at our history, the Negro has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have been more than patient in obtaining our rights as American citizens.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“The most essential issue of our time is the right of every American to first-class citizenship.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Blacks have had to learn to protect themselves by being sceptical, but not too cynical to turn down prospective chances.” We walk a tightrope throughout life to avoid becoming disillusioned.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“My issue was my inability to spend a lot of time at home.” I assumed my family was safe, so I ran around everywhere else. I guess I had a bigger impact on other people’s kids than I did on my own.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Losing kills me. If I’m a troublemaker, and I don’t think it’s because of my temper, it’s because I can’t handle losing. That’s how I feel about winning; all I’ve ever wanted to do is come in first.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I believed I was even with baseball and baseball was with me.” The game had done a lot for me, and I’d done a lot for it.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“A new generation of Republicans has taken over the Republican Party.” It is a new breed that seeks to sell to Americans a teaching that is as old as mankind: the dogma of racial divide, racial prejudice, and white supremacy.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I decided to leave UCLA after two years.” “I was persuaded that no amount of knowledge would assist a black man in finding work.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Throughout my life, I’ve had a few dreams that occurred when I was awake. One of these was the National Republican Convention in San Francisco, which produced the Republican Party’s greatest disaster ever – Nominee Barry Goldwater.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“When I play baseball, I give it everything I have on the field.” I don’t take the ball home when the game is over. My little kid, who is sitting out there, has no idea what a third strike is or a foul ball is. We don’t discuss baseball at home.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“It would negate everything I’ve worked for if baseball is integrated but political parties are not.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“If I had been white and done the things I did, they would never have let me leave baseball.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I guess you’d call me an independent because I’ve never connected with one political party or another.” I always cast my vote after carefully considering the actual candidates and issues, regardless of party affiliation.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
20 classic Hank Aaron Success Quotes
“I can’t salute the flag because I know I’m a black man in a white society.” I know I never had it made in 1972, 1947, or 1919, when I was born.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Today, African-Americans play on every major league and minor league team.” We, like millions of other African-Americans in various fields, are willing to stand up and be counted for what we believe in. We are no longer ready to wait until Judgment Day for equality; we want it on Earth as well as in Heaven.” -JANE ROBINSON
“I despise losing more than anything else.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“All that matters is how you performed in yesterday’s game.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“This isn’t much fun. But keep an eye on me; I’ll get it done.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
Valentino Rossi Quotes That Will Inspire You
“The original Dodgers were something exceptional, but there was nobody like Pee Wee Reese for me among my colleagues altogether.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I want everyone to understand that I am first and foremost an American Negro, not a member of any political party.”
—ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Baseball, in my opinion, is as big a business as anything.” The manner in which it is conducted implies that it must be a business.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“Throughout my baseball career, I have always expected to be traded. “I never liked the concept.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I will be eternally thankful to Colonel Longley.” He demonstrated to me that when people in positions of authority take a stand, good may come from it.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I had rehearsed with the squad, and our first game was against the University of Missouri.” They made it known to the Army that they would not play a team that included a black player. Rather than giving me the truth, the Army granted me permission to return home.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“My protest against post-exchange seating yielded some effect. Although there were more seats for blacks, there were still distinct areas for blacks and whites. At the very least, I had shown my men that speaking out could accomplish something, and I hoped they would be less resigned to unjust situations.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“The colonel said that he didn’t care how my soldiers executed the task. He was relieved that it had been completed. He stated that “no matter how much or how little I knew technically, I was able to get the most out of the people I worked with.” —ROBINSON, JACKIE
“I didn’t have a future with the Dodgers because I was too closely associated with Branch Rickey.” After Walter O’Malley took over the club, you couldn’t even bring up Mr. Rickey’s name in front of him. Mr. Rickey was the most amazing person I had ever met. -JANE ROBINSON
You may also like: 28 motivating Valentino Rossi Quotes