From the excited cheers of a neighborhood sandlot to the roaring crowds of a major league stadium. The game of baseball continually captures the hearts and captivates the minds of children and adults across the country. Dazzling catches, clutch hits, intimidating power, blinding speed. Time-honored tradition, and, most importantly, inspiring heroes paint a colorful picture of America’s national pastime. Some of these unforgettable heroes are recognized for their unequaled. Ability to play baseball, while others are remembered for their seemingly endless knowledge of the game.
One man, however, will be forever respected and admired for his strength and perseverance as well as his adept athletic ability. Certainly, Jackie Robinson symbolizes the true spirit of baseball: sportsmanship, strength, hard work, intensity, and talent. Robinson not only graced the ball diamond with his spectacular plays. But also paved the way for other gifted African American athletes who longed to succeed in organized baseball. Because Jackie Robinson accepted this tremendous challenge of breaking baseball’s color barrier, he remains a symbol of courage and determination today, and his heroics still inspire athletes of every race, gender, and culture to follow their dreams.
Jackie Robinson’s accomplishments opened the doors of opportunity for many black ballplayers. And, at the same time, his magnificent style of play and constant tolerance of racial prejudices impressed players and fans alike. Robinson’s achievements also encouraged aspiring athletes in the Negro Leagues, like Willie Mays, to follow in his footsteps.
In fact, in his book, Say Hey, Mays credits Jackie Robinson for courageously leading the integration of baseball, and he writes, “…his name was special to me and probably to any other black kid who had dreams of becoming a pro.” In addition, many white athletes were also inspired by Jackie Robinson’s heroics. Throughout his autobiography, All My Octobers, Mickey Mantle praises Robinson’s sportsmanship as well as his fierce desire to win.
He admits that he immediately became a Jackie fan during their first encounter which took place in the 1952 World Series. Mantle fondly recalls Jackie Robinson approaching him in the victorious Yankee clubhouse, shaking his hand, and saying, “You’re a helluva ballplayer and you’ve got a great future.” Mickey Mantle later comments, “Here was a player who without a doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any other player in the history of the game, and he had made a special effort to compliment and encourage a young white kid from Oklahoma.” This sportsmanship and class, along with his competitive nature, soon earned Robinson the admiration of teammates and opponents. Eventually, the whole country began to look beyond the color of his skin, and, instead, fans started to appreciate his courage, his leadership, and his athletic talent.
Jackie Robinson’s heroics challenged ballplayers to strive for excellence of character as well as success on the playing field. His unquestionable talent, unwavering intensity, and unrelenting desire to win secured the respect of fans across the country. Although Robinson excelled at every aspect of the game, his true success far exceeded the confines of a ballpark. Not only did baseball’s color barrier break when the Dodgers signed Robinson, but also the racial walls around the United States started to crumble.
Some people, like Mickey Mantle, believed that Robinson’s success slowly healed the wounds which had been created by racial prejudices. In fact, Mickey Mantle once stated, “His arrival in Brooklyn was a turning point for baseball and probably for the country.” Indeed, because of Jackie Robinson’s integrity and courage, all Americans have the opportunity to live out their fantasies on the neighborhood sandlots and follow their dreams in the major league stadiums.
