50 FAST FACTS ON JACKIE ROBINSON
1. Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo (pronounced KAY-ro), Georgia, on Hadley Ferry Road, a blue-collar town of about 10,000 folks. Cairo is the hometown of four-time Olympic basketball player Teresa Edwards, 1990 High School State Football champions and of course Jackie Robinson. Recently, the Cairo High School Syrupmakers renamed its baseball grounds, “Jackie Robinson Field.”
2. At UCLA, Robinson led the Southern Division of Pacific Coast Conference in scoring twice, as a basketball player, in 1940 and 1941. He later played professional basketball with the Los Angeles Red Devils in 1947.
3. In 1940, before 98,203 fans at Soldier Field, Robinson scores a touchdown, on a pass from Boston College’s Charlie O’Rourke, against the Chicago Bears. The College All-Stars lost to the world champions, 37-13. This was the same Bear team that demolished the Washington Redskins, 73-0, in the NFL championship game. At UCLA, Robinson had led the nation in punt returns with a 21-yard average and he also averaged 12.2 yards rushing.
4. Robinson’s first encounter with major league baseball was on March 13, 1938, in Pasadena. The Pasadena Sox, the city’s recreational team, played the Chicago White Sox in a fund-raiser. White Sox manager Jimmie Dykes spoke of the 19-year-old shortstop, “If that Robinson kid was White, I’d sign him right now. No one in the American League could make plays like that.”
5. In March of 1942, Robinson, 23, and pitcher Nate Moreland, 25, had their first major league tryouts with manager Jimmie Dykes and the Chicago White Sox of the American League. They were not offered contracts.
6. Three years later, 1945, Robinson, along with outfielders Marvin Williams, 23, and Sam Jethroe, 28, tried out for the Boston Red Sox. Red Sox manager and future American League president Joe Cronin did not attend the try out.
7. Robinson’s official Negro League stats with the Kansas City Monarchs are: In 47 games, he had 63 hits in 163 at bats. He hit 14 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and compiled a .387 batting average and a .613 slugging percentage.
8. Robinson batted second in the line-up and played first base on his first day in the majors. Robinson made 11 putouts without an error. Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick officiated at first. The first major league pitcher he faced was Boston Braves’ 21-game winner, Johnny Sain. Robinson went hitless in three at bats.
9. Although hitless in his first major league game, Robinson scored the winning run against the Braves. After Eddie Stanky drew a walk, Robinson laid down a bunt. First baseman Earl Torgeson fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw bounced off of Jackie’s back. Jackie was credited with a sacrifice, Torgeson an error. Stanky and Robinson later scored the tying and winning runs on a double by Pete Reiser. The Dodgers won 5-3. The winning pitcher was Hal Gregg.
10. 26,623 chilly fans attended Jackie Robinson’s first major league game, more than 6,000 shy of stadium capacity in the double-decked Ebbets Field.
11. On April 18, 1947, Robinson hit his first M.L. home run off of New York Giants’ southpaw Dave Koslo at the Polo Grounds. It was reported, when Robinson returned to the dugout, no Dodger shook his hand.
12. In his first major league season, Robinson led the National League in Stolen Bases with 29 thefts, that included three steals of home.
13. Jackie Robinson’s longest batting streak came during his rookie season when he hit safely in 21 consecutive games.
14. In Robinson’s initial season, the Brooklyn Dodgers set road attendance records in every National League park, except Cincinnati’s Crosley Field.
15. On May 18, 1947, when Robinson made his first appearance at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, 46,572 fans attended. Fifty years later, this figure is still the record attendance at Wrigley Field.
16. In his rookie season, Jackie bunted 46 times and registered 14 hits and 28 sacrifices, a phenomenal 91 percent success rate.
17. On September 22, 1947, Jackie Robinson appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
18. At the end of the 1947 season, an Associated Press poll ranked Robinson second to singer Bing Crosby as the country’s “Most Admired Man.”
19. Robinson hit two grand slam home runs in his career; on June 24, 1948, and two years later on the same date.
20. On August 29, 1948, Robinson hit for the cycle against the St. Louis Cardinals, in a 12-7 Dodger win. He homered, tripled, doubled and after flying out, he singled.
21. As a second baseman, Robinson led the league in fielding in 1948, 1950 and 1951.
22. On July 12, 1949, Robinson with teammates Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella, along with Cleveland Indian outfielder Larry Doby became the first Blacks to integrate the all-star game.
23. On May 10, 1950, Robinson became the first African American to grace the cover of Life magazine.
24. In 1950, Jackie starred as himself in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story. Actress Ruby Dee, played his wife Rachel.
25. In 1950 and 1951, Robinson lead the National League in the most Double Plays Made by a second baseman with 133 and 137 respectively.
26. On August 30, 1953, after two days on the injury list (bad leg), Robinson is struck out twice by Cardinal pitchers Eddie Erautt and Willard Schmidt, in the third inning.
27. On April 23, 1954, Robinson stole second, third base and home plate in the same game. Robinson steal of home sent the game into extra innings. He later doubles in the 13th inning to score Junior Gilliam with the decisive run.
28. Robinson’s most productive day at the plate was on June 17, 1954, when he hit two home runs and two doubles. He also stole a base against the Milwaukee Braves.
29. In the ‘55 World Series, Robinson’s steal of home plate is given as the motivational spark that propelled the Brooklyn Dodgers to their first and only world championship. The steal came off of Yankee Hall of Famers, pitcher Whitey Ford and catcher Yogi Berra, with Bill Summers officiating.
30. In 1956, Robinson earned his highest salary of $42,500 (about $250,000 in 1997 dollars). This was about nine times as much as the average family salary. In comparison, a salary of $5 million for 1997's superstars is 180 times the average household income.
31. In the 1956 World Series, Robinson drove in Brooklyn’s first and last runs. They were his only RBIs of the series and both came at Ebbets Field.
32. From 1948 to 1956, there have been 33 players to pinch-run for Robinson, including Joe Black on July 27, 1952.
33. Only six (6) players have ever pinched-hit for Jackie Robinson. They are Bobby Morgan (in 1950), Rocky Bridges (1951), Wayne Terwilliger (1951), Dick Williams (1954), Rocky Nelson (1956), and Randy Jackson (1956).
34. Robinson produced his highest batting average in the clean-up position. He batted .329 in 2,483 at bats. In the fourth slot he compiled a slugging percentage of .514 and an on-base average of .426. In 4,877 lifetime at bats, he batted in the clean-up spot 51 percent of the time.
35. Robinson compiled his highest team batting averages against Pittsburgh and St. Louis. He batted .342 against the Pirates, and .341 against the Cardinals.
36. Robinson highest park batting averages came at Forbes Field with a .342 average. He also hit .326 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, and .317 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia.
37. In the homely confines of Ebbets Fields, Robinson hit .314, with an on base percentage of .411, and a slugging percentage of .492.
38. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, from 1947-56, Jackie Robinson is one of only two players with 125 steals and a slugging percentage over .425. He had 197 steals and .474 slugging percentage. Former New York Cuban and Chicago White Sox great, Minnie Miñoso with 127 steals and .479 percentage, is the other player.
39. Hall of Famer Robin Roberts gave up the most hits, most home runs and most RBIs to Robinson, with 45, nine and 22, respectively. The most triples given up to Robinson are three, by Dave Koslo; most doubles are 10, by Howie Pollet. Robinson worked Herm Wehmeier for the most walks with 20. And Stu Miller hit Robinson with the most pitches, five times, in only 12 plate appearances.
40. Robinson’s lifetime on base percentage of .410 is ranked 25th on the all-time list.
41. Jackie Robinson is one of 15 players who won the Rookie of the Year Award and later won the Most Valuable Player Award. In 1987, Peter Ueberroth, then baseball commissioner, renamed the Rookie of the Year Award in Jackie’s honor, The Jackie Robinson Award.
42. Robinson won batting titles in both the minor and major leagues. He batted .349 with Montreal of the International League in 1946, and hit .342 with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League in 1949.
43. Retired players who started their careers after 1947, and played more than ten years, with a lifetime batting average of .311 or higher include Jackie Robinson, Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente and Kirby Puckett.
44. In his first eight seasons, Robinson led the National League in getting hit by pitches once, was second four times and third twice. In fact, in 1951, three of the four most-often-hit National League players were Black. Jackie was hit-by-pitches a total of 72 times during his career.
45. Robinson stole home plate trice in 1947, five times in 1948 and 1949, once in 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955 and 1956. A total of 19 steals of home plate. Russ Meyer was the only pitcher victimized twice.
46. Robinson was caught stealing home 12 times in his career. Preacher Roe, Johnny Sain, and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm were notables who caught the larcenist Robinson.
47. Robinson, along with Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller, were inducted in the National Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962, his first year of eligibility. Robinson garnered 78 percent of the votes, getting 124 of 160 votes, making the Hall by a slim margin of four votes.
48. On October 15, 1972, Jackie Robinson threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the World Series, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Oakland Athletics at Riverfront Stadium. He was the guest of commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Robinson voiced his concerns about Blacks in management stating, “One day I’d like to look over at third base and see a Black man managing the ball club.”
49. In 1982, Robinson became the first baseball player, Black or White, to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in his honor.
50. In 1997, Jackie became the first athlete to appear on three different Wheaties boxes at the same time, regular Wheaties, Honey Frosted Wheaties and Crispy Wheaties ‘n Raisins.
2. At UCLA, Robinson led the Southern Division of Pacific Coast Conference in scoring twice, as a basketball player, in 1940 and 1941. He later played professional basketball with the Los Angeles Red Devils in 1947.
3. In 1940, before 98,203 fans at Soldier Field, Robinson scores a touchdown, on a pass from Boston College’s Charlie O’Rourke, against the Chicago Bears. The College All-Stars lost to the world champions, 37-13. This was the same Bear team that demolished the Washington Redskins, 73-0, in the NFL championship game. At UCLA, Robinson had led the nation in punt returns with a 21-yard average and he also averaged 12.2 yards rushing.
4. Robinson’s first encounter with major league baseball was on March 13, 1938, in Pasadena. The Pasadena Sox, the city’s recreational team, played the Chicago White Sox in a fund-raiser. White Sox manager Jimmie Dykes spoke of the 19-year-old shortstop, “If that Robinson kid was White, I’d sign him right now. No one in the American League could make plays like that.”
5. In March of 1942, Robinson, 23, and pitcher Nate Moreland, 25, had their first major league tryouts with manager Jimmie Dykes and the Chicago White Sox of the American League. They were not offered contracts.
6. Three years later, 1945, Robinson, along with outfielders Marvin Williams, 23, and Sam Jethroe, 28, tried out for the Boston Red Sox. Red Sox manager and future American League president Joe Cronin did not attend the try out.
7. Robinson’s official Negro League stats with the Kansas City Monarchs are: In 47 games, he had 63 hits in 163 at bats. He hit 14 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 13 stolen bases, and compiled a .387 batting average and a .613 slugging percentage.
8. Robinson batted second in the line-up and played first base on his first day in the majors. Robinson made 11 putouts without an error. Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick officiated at first. The first major league pitcher he faced was Boston Braves’ 21-game winner, Johnny Sain. Robinson went hitless in three at bats.
9. Although hitless in his first major league game, Robinson scored the winning run against the Braves. After Eddie Stanky drew a walk, Robinson laid down a bunt. First baseman Earl Torgeson fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw bounced off of Jackie’s back. Jackie was credited with a sacrifice, Torgeson an error. Stanky and Robinson later scored the tying and winning runs on a double by Pete Reiser. The Dodgers won 5-3. The winning pitcher was Hal Gregg.
10. 26,623 chilly fans attended Jackie Robinson’s first major league game, more than 6,000 shy of stadium capacity in the double-decked Ebbets Field.
11. On April 18, 1947, Robinson hit his first M.L. home run off of New York Giants’ southpaw Dave Koslo at the Polo Grounds. It was reported, when Robinson returned to the dugout, no Dodger shook his hand.
12. In his first major league season, Robinson led the National League in Stolen Bases with 29 thefts, that included three steals of home.
13. Jackie Robinson’s longest batting streak came during his rookie season when he hit safely in 21 consecutive games.
14. In Robinson’s initial season, the Brooklyn Dodgers set road attendance records in every National League park, except Cincinnati’s Crosley Field.
15. On May 18, 1947, when Robinson made his first appearance at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, 46,572 fans attended. Fifty years later, this figure is still the record attendance at Wrigley Field.
16. In his rookie season, Jackie bunted 46 times and registered 14 hits and 28 sacrifices, a phenomenal 91 percent success rate.
17. On September 22, 1947, Jackie Robinson appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
18. At the end of the 1947 season, an Associated Press poll ranked Robinson second to singer Bing Crosby as the country’s “Most Admired Man.”
19. Robinson hit two grand slam home runs in his career; on June 24, 1948, and two years later on the same date.
20. On August 29, 1948, Robinson hit for the cycle against the St. Louis Cardinals, in a 12-7 Dodger win. He homered, tripled, doubled and after flying out, he singled.
21. As a second baseman, Robinson led the league in fielding in 1948, 1950 and 1951.
22. On July 12, 1949, Robinson with teammates Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella, along with Cleveland Indian outfielder Larry Doby became the first Blacks to integrate the all-star game.
23. On May 10, 1950, Robinson became the first African American to grace the cover of Life magazine.
24. In 1950, Jackie starred as himself in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story. Actress Ruby Dee, played his wife Rachel.
25. In 1950 and 1951, Robinson lead the National League in the most Double Plays Made by a second baseman with 133 and 137 respectively.
26. On August 30, 1953, after two days on the injury list (bad leg), Robinson is struck out twice by Cardinal pitchers Eddie Erautt and Willard Schmidt, in the third inning.
27. On April 23, 1954, Robinson stole second, third base and home plate in the same game. Robinson steal of home sent the game into extra innings. He later doubles in the 13th inning to score Junior Gilliam with the decisive run.
28. Robinson’s most productive day at the plate was on June 17, 1954, when he hit two home runs and two doubles. He also stole a base against the Milwaukee Braves.
29. In the ‘55 World Series, Robinson’s steal of home plate is given as the motivational spark that propelled the Brooklyn Dodgers to their first and only world championship. The steal came off of Yankee Hall of Famers, pitcher Whitey Ford and catcher Yogi Berra, with Bill Summers officiating.
30. In 1956, Robinson earned his highest salary of $42,500 (about $250,000 in 1997 dollars). This was about nine times as much as the average family salary. In comparison, a salary of $5 million for 1997's superstars is 180 times the average household income.
31. In the 1956 World Series, Robinson drove in Brooklyn’s first and last runs. They were his only RBIs of the series and both came at Ebbets Field.
32. From 1948 to 1956, there have been 33 players to pinch-run for Robinson, including Joe Black on July 27, 1952.
33. Only six (6) players have ever pinched-hit for Jackie Robinson. They are Bobby Morgan (in 1950), Rocky Bridges (1951), Wayne Terwilliger (1951), Dick Williams (1954), Rocky Nelson (1956), and Randy Jackson (1956).
34. Robinson produced his highest batting average in the clean-up position. He batted .329 in 2,483 at bats. In the fourth slot he compiled a slugging percentage of .514 and an on-base average of .426. In 4,877 lifetime at bats, he batted in the clean-up spot 51 percent of the time.
35. Robinson compiled his highest team batting averages against Pittsburgh and St. Louis. He batted .342 against the Pirates, and .341 against the Cardinals.
36. Robinson highest park batting averages came at Forbes Field with a .342 average. He also hit .326 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, and .317 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia.
37. In the homely confines of Ebbets Fields, Robinson hit .314, with an on base percentage of .411, and a slugging percentage of .492.
38. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, from 1947-56, Jackie Robinson is one of only two players with 125 steals and a slugging percentage over .425. He had 197 steals and .474 slugging percentage. Former New York Cuban and Chicago White Sox great, Minnie Miñoso with 127 steals and .479 percentage, is the other player.
39. Hall of Famer Robin Roberts gave up the most hits, most home runs and most RBIs to Robinson, with 45, nine and 22, respectively. The most triples given up to Robinson are three, by Dave Koslo; most doubles are 10, by Howie Pollet. Robinson worked Herm Wehmeier for the most walks with 20. And Stu Miller hit Robinson with the most pitches, five times, in only 12 plate appearances.
40. Robinson’s lifetime on base percentage of .410 is ranked 25th on the all-time list.
41. Jackie Robinson is one of 15 players who won the Rookie of the Year Award and later won the Most Valuable Player Award. In 1987, Peter Ueberroth, then baseball commissioner, renamed the Rookie of the Year Award in Jackie’s honor, The Jackie Robinson Award.
42. Robinson won batting titles in both the minor and major leagues. He batted .349 with Montreal of the International League in 1946, and hit .342 with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League in 1949.
43. Retired players who started their careers after 1947, and played more than ten years, with a lifetime batting average of .311 or higher include Jackie Robinson, Rod Carew, Roberto Clemente and Kirby Puckett.
44. In his first eight seasons, Robinson led the National League in getting hit by pitches once, was second four times and third twice. In fact, in 1951, three of the four most-often-hit National League players were Black. Jackie was hit-by-pitches a total of 72 times during his career.
45. Robinson stole home plate trice in 1947, five times in 1948 and 1949, once in 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955 and 1956. A total of 19 steals of home plate. Russ Meyer was the only pitcher victimized twice.
46. Robinson was caught stealing home 12 times in his career. Preacher Roe, Johnny Sain, and knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm were notables who caught the larcenist Robinson.
47. Robinson, along with Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller, were inducted in the National Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962, his first year of eligibility. Robinson garnered 78 percent of the votes, getting 124 of 160 votes, making the Hall by a slim margin of four votes.
48. On October 15, 1972, Jackie Robinson threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the World Series, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Oakland Athletics at Riverfront Stadium. He was the guest of commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Robinson voiced his concerns about Blacks in management stating, “One day I’d like to look over at third base and see a Black man managing the ball club.”
49. In 1982, Robinson became the first baseball player, Black or White, to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in his honor.
50. In 1997, Jackie became the first athlete to appear on three different Wheaties boxes at the same time, regular Wheaties, Honey Frosted Wheaties and Crispy Wheaties ‘n Raisins.
