Jackie Robinson

Him playing football in UCLA (Pete Sherman)

This paper will show you why I chose one of my favorite sports heroes, Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. As Jackie grew up he liked to play sports. Examples: Basketball and football but he liked baseball the most. When he was in high school he was a very smart kid and got a scholarship to UCLA (University College Los Angeles).

Jackie mostly was good at sports because of his brother who in Berlin got second place in the 200 meter dash just behind Jesse Owens in 1936. In 1938 Jackie graduated from college and in 1942 he joined the army and he did something that almost put him in jail. In the 1940's segregation still was on in the US so when a bus driver in the army told him to go to the back of the bus he said no.

He had to go to court for that but he was found not guilty, happily. After he retired from the army he went to the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues and 1 year later Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers saw Robinson play and asked him to be on his team. So on April 15 , 1947 Jackie Robinson walked on the MLB ( Major League baseball ) field.

He had some memorable moments like in 1955 the Dodgers played the Yankees in the World Series (like always) was in game 1 of the 1955 World Series. Jackie Robinson had been on 3rd base and when the pitcher got into his windup then Jackie was running and then slid into home. The Dodgers won that game and the next 3 of 6 games and won the series! The famous saying, "Wait till next year" had come true. He played for 10 years but sadly in 1972 he died at the age of 53.

In 1999 the MLB retired Robinson's number and in 2004 they made an announcement that every April 15 would be Jackie Robinson Day where everyone would wear #42. In 1972 Robinson died at the age of 53. But before that, Robinson got elected to the Hall of Fame with a lifetime average of .309. Robinson had a great life and should be remembered by the millions that watched him. I hope you understand why I chose him.