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Jackie Robinson
He was a son, a brother to four, a father of three and a husband. At Muir Technical High School, Pasadena Junior College, and UCLA, he lettered in unprecedented four sports: football, basketball, baseball and track (at UCLA, he was the first student ever to do so). In college basketball, he was the highest scorer in the Pacific Coast Conference two years in a row. He played semi-pro football in Hawaii with the Honolulu Bears until shortly after Pearl Harbor. Then, he was drafted into the army where, despite the impediments of being stationed at the segregated Fort Riley in Texas, he was commissioned as a lieutenant. He played in the Negro American League for the Kansas City Monarchs, where he earned respect from the likes of Satchel Paige for his speed, overall ability and a batting average nearing .400. He played with the Montreal Royals for a year, beginning in 1945. All this before the fateful 1947 announcement that Jackie Robinson would become part of the Brooklyn Dodgers, under the general management of Branch Rickey. Sure the announcement itself was historic, but no more so than Robinson's debut and resulting Dodger career. He was named National League Rookie of the Year and led the League in stolen bases, both in 1947 and in 1949. 1949 was a significant professional year for a number of other reasons. Robinson also led second basemen in double plays, won the batting title with a .342 average and was named League MVP. Leading second basemen in double plays became a habit, as he three-peated this feat in 1950, 1951, and 1952. After leading the Dodgers to six World Series and one World Series championship, the team decided to trade him to the New York Giants in 1956. Robinson declined, unwilling to play for the Dodger's archrivals in the same city, and retired. Continuing in his tradition of being the type of man a baseball diamond just couldn't contain, Robinson became a film star, portraying himself in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950). He opened a men's apparel store on Harlem's famed 125th Street, which remained a hot spot from 1952 until 1958. He served on the board of directors for the NAACP from 1957-1967. And he authored an autobiography, I Never Had It Made! He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, the first year he was eligible for induction. His last public appearance was ten years later at the 1972 World Series, where he was chosen to throw out the first pitch. Nine days afterward, a heart attack ended Robinson's incredible life. Pop culture hasn't forgotten Jackie Robinson. In 1997, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of his breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier. That year, Major League Baseball retired Robinson's number 42. Plenty of rare bits of Jackie Robinson memorabilia are still floating around for sale and auction. The Jackie Robinson doll and metal bust bank, as well as issues of Jackie Robinson comic book, were quite popular in their day and are now worth upwards of $1,000. A number of cards, jerseys and baseballs bearing the Robinson name will also fetch the savvy seller/collector a pretty penny.
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