Book review of Jackie Robinson
The great American pastime of baseball has had its share of amazing athletes that not only dazzled fans with their play, but revolutionized the sport with their personality, charisma, and courage. Babe Ruth, with his charm as well as his bat, gave baseball a personality, Lou Gehrig, the "Iron Horse," gave baseball a tough image, and Joe DiMaggio, with his 56 game hitting streak captivated the entire country. In a similar way, Jackie Robinson added diversity to the game of baseball by breaking the color barrier. However, in his case, the story is much different. When Babe Ruth was on route to hitting 60 home runs, nearly all the baseball world supported him. When Joe DiMaggio got hit after hit, the country stood still with anticipation. The case of Jackie Robinson is much different, in that very few wanted diversity; no one wanted a black man on the same playing field as white players. Robinson, then, overcame his own record without, for the most part, the benefit of country approval, fan support, or even his own team's support. With extreme courage, a tough personality, and a will to be a major league baseball player, he changed the sport of baseball foreve
Few would have been able to avoid having their will broken by the numerous hurdles Robinson overcame. Many major league stadiums were filled with hostile fans opposed to his presence, and although they were sometimes the minority Robinson would have to deal with disparaging remarks, and sometimes actions, toward his race on a daily basis. Robinson had to deal with this at every level. He not only had to worry about his ability to play, he had to worry about the racism that followed him off the field. 342 average, leading the league with 37 stolen bases, and earned the Most Valuable Player award. The Biography of Jackie Robinson by Arnold Rampersad does more than explain the life and the legend. He had confidence in himself as a person and as an athlete. I would think a major event like this one would merit a little more detail, and maybe even a touch of sentimental rhetoric. He had to overcome prejudice to become accepted, which is something he eventually managed to do. Robinson was also part of six national league pennants and on six all star teams. Robinson's impact on society went far beyond the baseball field. In one case, while in Syracuse as a Montreal Royal, an opposing player actually threw a black cat on the field and said "Hey Jackie, there's your cousin (153). This was, of course, a gradual process, and by the end of Robinson's career all but three major league teams had a black athlete in their organization at some level. This confidence surely helped him throughout his life as an athlete.
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Acceptance Essays
