Editing Jackie Robinson (section)

==Playing career==
===Negro leagues and major league prospects===
[[File:Jackie Robinson Kansas City Monarchs.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A black man in baseball uniform with the letters "K" and "C" on the chest|Robinson during his stint in the Negro leagues with the [[Kansas City Monarchs]]]]

In early 1945, while Robinson was at Sam Huston College, the [[Kansas City Monarchs]] sent him a written offer to play professional baseball in the Negro leagues.<ref name=enders/><ref>[[#Eig|Eig]], p. 17.</ref> Robinson accepted a contract for $400 per month.<ref name="Gale Group"/><ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 24.</ref> Although he played well for the Monarchs, Robinson was frustrated with the experience. He had grown used to a structured playing environment in college, and the Negro leagues' disorganization and embrace of gambling interests appalled him.<ref>[[#Tygiel|Tygiel (1983)]], p. 63.</ref><ref>[[#Bryant|Bryant]], p. 30.</ref> The hectic travel schedule also placed a burden on his relationship with Isum, with whom he could now communicate only by letter.<ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 25.</ref> In all, Robinson played 47 games at [[shortstop]] for the Monarchs, hitting .387 with five [[home run]]s, and registering 13 [[stolen base]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lester |first=Larry |author2=Sammy J. Miller  |title=Black Baseball in Kansas City |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2000 |page=55 |isbn=978-0-7385-0842-9}}</ref> He also appeared in the 1945 [[East–West All-Star Game]], going hitless in five at-bats.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lester |first=Larry |title=Black Baseball's National Showcase: The East–West All-Star Game, 1933–1953 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2002 |page=457 |isbn=978-0-8032-8000-7}}</ref>

During the season, Robinson pursued potential major league interests. No black man had played in the major leagues since [[Moses Fleetwood Walker]] in 1884, but the [[Boston Red Sox]] nevertheless held a tryout at [[Fenway Park]] for Robinson and other black players on April 16.<ref name=Bryantp31>[[#Bryant|Bryant]], p. 31.</ref><ref>[[#Robertson & Saunders|Robertson & Saunders]], p. 15.</ref> The tryout, however, was a farce chiefly designed to assuage the desegregationist sensibilities of powerful Boston City Councilman [[Isadore H. Y. Muchnick]].<ref>[[#Simon|Simon]], pp. 46–47.</ref> Even with the stands limited to management, Robinson was subjected to racial epithets.<ref name=Npr2002>{{cite web | url = https://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/oct/redsox/ | title = The Boston Red Sox and Racism: With New Owners, Team Confronts Legacy of Intolerance | publisher = National Public Radio | date = October 11, 2002 | access-date = April 21, 2018 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080405032805/http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/oct/redsox/ | archive-date = April 5, 2008 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> He left the tryout humiliated,<ref name=Bryantp31/> and more than 14 years later, in July 1959, the Red Sox became the final major league team to integrate its roster.<ref>{{cite web |work=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |title=Robinson's many peers follow his lead |url=http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070412&content_id=1895202&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |last=O'Connell |first=Jack |date=April 13, 2007 |access-date=December 24, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822072051/http://mlbnetwork.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070412&content_id=1895202&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=August 22, 2011 }}</ref>

Other teams, however, had more serious interest in signing a black ballplayer. In the mid-1940s, [[Branch Rickey]], club president and [[General manager (baseball)|general manager]] of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]], began to scout the Negro leagues for a possible addition to the Dodgers' roster. Rickey selected Robinson from a list of promising black players and interviewed him for possible assignment to Brooklyn's [[International League]] [[Baseball farm team|farm club]], the [[Montreal Royals]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/longterm/general/povich/launch/jackier.htm |title=The Ball Stayed White, but the Game Did Not |access-date=October 12, 2008 |last=Povich |first=Shirley |date=March 28, 1997 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Rickey was especially interested in making sure his eventual signee could withstand the inevitable racial abuse that would be directed at him.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |url=http://mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080415&content_id=2529821 |title=One meeting, two men, a changed world |first=Justice B. |last=Hill |date=April 15, 2008 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415235609/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080415&content_id=2529821&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb | archive-date=April 15, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=schwartz>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016431.html |title=Jackie changed face of sports |access-date=September 25, 2009 |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |year=2007 |work=[[ESPN]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410191113/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016431.html |archive-date=April 10, 2010 }}</ref> In a famous three-hour exchange on August 28, 1945, Rickey asked Robinson if he could face the racial animus without taking the bait and reacting angrily—a concern given Robinson's prior arguments with law enforcement officials at PJC and in the military.<ref name="Gale Group"/> Robinson was aghast: "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?"<ref name=schwartz/><ref name=Robinsonp33/> Rickey replied that he needed a Negro player "with guts enough not to fight back."<ref name=schwartz/><ref name=Robinsonp33>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 33.</ref> After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to racial antagonism, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $600 a month, equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|600|1945}}}} today.<ref>[[#Rampersad|Rampersad]], p. 127.</ref><ref name=Robinsonp34>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 34.</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Thorn, John |author2=Tygiel, Jules |title=Jackie Robinson's Signing: The Real Story |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/jackie-robinsons-signing-the-real-story/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> Rickey did not offer compensation to the Monarchs, instead believing all Negro league players were free agents due to the contracts not containing a reserve clause.<ref name="Beisbol">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qoqyGjsXYnwC&pg=PA37|title=Béisbol|editor=[[Ilan Stavans]]|series=The Ilan Stavans Library of Latino Civilization|year=2012|isbn=978-0-313-37513-2|publisher=Greenwood|location=Santa Barbara, California|page=37}}</ref> Among those with whom Rickey discussed prospects was [[Wendell Smith (sportswriter)|Wendell Smith]], writer for the black weekly ''[[Pittsburgh Courier]]'', who, according to [[Cleveland Indians]] owner and team president [[Bill Veeck]], "influenced Rickey to take Jack Robinson, for which he's never completely gotten credit."<ref name="Moore">{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Joseph Thomas|title=Pride and Prejudice: The Biography of Larry Doby|location=New York|publisher=Praeger Publishers|year=1988|isbn=978-0-275-92984-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LjfGgiauBfcC&pg=PA40|page=40}}</ref>

Although he required Robinson to keep the arrangement a secret for the time being, Rickey committed to formally signing Robinson before November 1, 1945.<ref>[[#Rampersad|Rampersad]], pp. 127–128.</ref> On October 23, it was publicly announced that Robinson would be assigned to the Royals for the 1946 season.<ref name="Gale Group"/><ref name=Robinsonp34/><ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 43.</ref> On the same day, with representatives of the Royals and Dodgers present, Robinson formally signed his contract with the Royals.<ref>[[#Rampersad|Rampersad]], p. 129.</ref> In what was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment",<ref name="Gale Group"/><ref>[[#Tygiel|Tygiel (1983)]], p. 79.</ref> Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s.<ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 6.</ref><ref name=Pennington>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/sports/27hall.html |title=Breaking a barrier 60 years before Robinson |last=Pennington |first=Bill |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 27, 2006 |access-date=September 13, 2009}}</ref> He was not necessarily the best player in the Negro leagues,<ref name="Satch1">{{cite book|last=Ribowsky|first=Mark |title=Don't Look Back: Satchel Paige In the Shadows of Baseball|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2000|page=313|isbn=978-0-306-80963-7}}</ref> and black talents [[Satchel Paige]] and [[Josh Gibson]] were upset when Robinson was selected first.<ref name="Satch2">{{cite book|last=Paige|first=Satchel|author2=David Lipman|title=Maybe I'll Pitch Forever: A Great Baseball Player Tells the Hilarious Story Behind the Legend|url=https://archive.org/details/maybeillpitchfor00paig/page/|url-access=registration|publisher=U of Nebraska Press|year=1993|pages=xi, xii|isbn=978-0-8032-8732-7}}</ref> [[Larry Doby]], who broke the color line in the [[American League]] the same year as Robinson, said, "One of the things that was disappointing and disheartening to a lot of the black players at the time was that Jack was not the best player. The best was Josh Gibson. I think that's one of the reasons why Josh died so early—he was heartbroken."<ref name="Moore1">{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Joseph Thomas|title=Pride and Prejudice: The Biography of Larry Doby|location=New York|publisher=Praeger Publishers|year=1988|isbn=978-0-275-92984-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LjfGgiauBfcC&pg=PA30|page=30}}</ref>

Rickey's offer allowed Robinson to leave behind the Monarchs and their grueling bus rides, and he went home to Pasadena. That September, he signed with [[Chet Brewer]]'s Kansas City Royals, a post-season [[barnstorm (sports)|barnstorming]] team in the [[California Winter League]].<ref>[[#Tygiel2|Tygiel (2002)]], p. 28.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2024 |title=Jackie Robinson |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jackie-Robinson |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Later that off-season, he briefly toured South America with another barnstorming team, while his fiancée Isum pursued nursing opportunities in New York City.<ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 37.</ref> On February 10, 1946, Robinson and Isum were married by their old friend, the Rev. Karl Downs.<ref name="Gale Group"/><ref>[[#Linge|Linge]], p. 49.</ref><ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 38.</ref>

===Minor leagues===
In 1946, Robinson arrived at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], for [[spring training]] with the [[Montreal Royals]] of the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Class AAA]] [[International League]]. [[Clay Hopper]], the manager of the Royals, asked Rickey to assign Robinson to any other Dodger affiliate, but Rickey refused.<ref name=redemption>{{cite news|last=Lamb |first=Chris |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/Opinion+redemption+Clay+Hopper/8196800/story.html |title=Opinion: The redemption of Clay Hopper |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] |date=April 7, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405102841/http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Opinion%2Bredemption%2BClay%2BHopper/8196800/story.html |archive-date=April 5, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Baseball. Jack Robinson BAnQ P48S1P12829 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Robinson with the [[Montreal Royals]] in July 1946, the year before he was called up to the Majors|alt=A black man in a baseball uniform with the words "Royals" and a baseball cap with the letter "M".]]

Robinson's presence was controversial in racially segregated Florida. He was not allowed to stay with his white teammates at the team hotel, and instead lodged at the home of Joe and Dufferin Harris, a politically active African-American couple who introduced the Robinsons to civil rights activist [[Mary McLeod Bethune]].<ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 93.</ref><ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 41.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/teachingwithhistoricplaces/upload/Twhp-Lessons_RobinsonBallpark2016.pdf |title=A Field of Dreams: The Jackie Robinson Ballpark |date=2016 |website=Teaching with Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service|pages=18–20|access-date=September 4, 2019}}</ref> Since the Dodgers organization did not own a spring training facility, scheduling was subject to the whim of area localities, several of which turned down any event involving Robinson or [[Johnny Wright (baseball)|Johnny Wright]], another black player whom Rickey had signed to the Dodgers' organization in January. In [[Sanford, Florida]], the police chief threatened to cancel games if Robinson and Wright did not cease training activities there; as a result, Robinson was sent back to Daytona Beach.<ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 88.</ref><ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], pp. 42–43.</ref> In [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], the [[J. P. Small Memorial Stadium|stadium]] was padlocked shut without warning on game day, by order of the city's Parks and Public Property director.<ref>{{cite news|title=Royals' Game Off at Jacksonville |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 23, 1946 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/03/23/archives/royals-game-off-at-jacksonville-city-denies-use-of-field-for-sunday.html |via=TimeMachine |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], pp. 135–136.</ref> In [[DeLand, Florida|DeLand]], a scheduled day game was postponed, ostensibly because of issues with the stadium's electrical lighting.<ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 140.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Reichard |first=Kevin |url=http://ballparkdigest.com/200811291030/minor-league-baseball/visits/jackie-robinson-ballpark-daytona-cubs |title=Jackie Robinson Ballpark / Daytona Cubs |website=BallparkDigest.com |date=November 29, 2008 |access-date=May 6, 2017}}</ref>

After much lobbying of local officials by Rickey himself, the Royals were allowed to host a game involving Robinson in Daytona Beach.<ref>[[#Lamb|Lamb]], p. 104.</ref><ref>[[#Robinson|Robinson, Jackie (1972)]], p. 45.</ref> Robinson made his Royals debut at Daytona Beach's City Island Ballpark on March 17, 1946, in an exhibition game against the team's parent club, the Dodgers. Robinson thus became the first black player to openly play for a minor league team against a major league team since the ''de facto'' baseball color line had been implemented in the 1880s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Vasile |first1=Sarah |title=Before Jackie Robinson, This Forgotten Man Broke Baseball's Color Barrier |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/02/10/before-jackie-robinson-moses-fleetwood-walker-baseball-color-barrier |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=February 10, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Jackie Robinson a211368-v8.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Robinson (holding bats) playing in Montreal|alt=Two white men in baseball uniform with back to camera watch a black baseball player take batting practice]]

Later in spring training, after some less-than-stellar performances, Robinson was shifted from shortstop to [[second baseman|second base]], allowing him to make shorter throws to first base.<ref name=time>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,933586,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312164525/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,933586,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 12, 2010 |title=Jackie Makes Good |access-date=July 21, 2021 |date=August 26, 1946 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> Robinson's performance soon rebounded. On April 18, 1946, [[Roosevelt Stadium]] hosted the [[Jersey City Giants]]' season opener against the [[Montreal Royals]], marking the professional debut of the Royals' Jackie Robinson and the first time the color barrier had been broken in a game between two minor league clubs.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FV0uF_RwC00C&pg=PA15|title=The Negro Leagues in New Jersey: A History|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|year=2008|last1=Martin|first1=Alfred M.|last2=Martin|first2=Alfred T.|page=15|isbn=978-0-7864-3900-3}}</ref> Pitching against Robinson was [[Warren Sandel]] who had played against him when they both lived in California. During Robinson's first at bat, the Jersey City catcher, Dick Bouknight, demanded that Sandel throw at Robinson, but Sandel refused. Although Sandel induced Robinson to ground out at his first at bat, Robinson ended up with four hits in his five [[at bat]]s; his first hit was a three-run home run in the game's third [[inning]].<ref>Van Blair, Rick (1994) ''Dugout to Foxhole: Interviews with Baseball Players Whose Careers Were Affected by World War II.'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, pp. 180–191</ref> He also scored four [[Run (baseball)|runs]], drove in three, and stole two bases in the Royals' 14–1 victory.<ref>[[#Tygiel|Tygiel (1983)]], pp. 3, 7</ref> Robinson proceeded to lead the International League that season with a .349 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and .985 [[fielding percentage]], and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player.<ref>[[#Simon|Simon]], p. 97.</ref> Although he often faced hostility while on road trips (the Royals were forced to cancel a [[Southern United States|Southern]] exhibition tour, for example),<ref name=time/>, in Canada, the Montreal fan base enthusiastically supported Robinson.<ref>[[#Linge|Linge]], p. 54.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Matheson |first1=Keegan |title=Montreal was Jackie's 'paradise' in 1946 |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jackie-robinson-loved-playing-with-montreal-royals |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |date=February 5, 2022}}</ref> Whether fans supported or opposed it, Robinson's presence on the field was a boon to attendance; more than one million people went to games involving Robinson in 1946, an astounding figure by International League standards.<ref name=SABRbio>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jackie-robinson/ |title=Jackie Robinson (SABR BioProject) |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> In the fall of 1946, following the baseball season, Robinson returned home to California and briefly played professional basketball for the short-lived [[Los Angeles Red Devils]].<ref>[[#Tygiel|Tygiel (1983)]], pp. 163–164.</ref><ref>[[#Rampersad|Rampersad]], pp. 158–159.</ref>

===Major leagues===
====Breaking the color barrier (1947)====
[[File:Jackie Robinson, NPG 97 219.jpg | thumb | Jackie Robinson in 1947]]
In 1947, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues six days before the start of the season. With [[Eddie Stanky]] entrenched at second base for the Dodgers, Robinson played his initial major league season as a [[first baseman]].<ref name=schwartz/> Robinson made his debut as a Dodger wearing [[Uniform number (Major League Baseball)|uniform number]] 42 on April 11, 1947, in a preseason [[exhibition game]] against the New York Yankees at [[Ebbets Field]] with 24,237 in attendance.<ref>{{cite web |title=April 11, 1947: Jackie Robinson debuts in a Dodgers uniform at Ebbets Field |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-11-1947-jackie-robinson-debuts-for-dodgers-at-ebbets-field/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |first=Steven |last=Weiner}}</ref> On April 15, Robinson made his major league debut at the relatively advanced age of 28 at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, more than 14,000 of whom were black.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Morehouse, Ward |title=Jackie Robinson makes his debut with the Dodgers|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/tsn-archives-jackie-robinson-makes-his-debut-dodgers-april-23-1947-issue/myd4lqgfnt6zvodhxft7nwf2 |magazine=[[The Sporting News]] |date=April 23, 1947 |access-date=April 14, 2023}}</ref>  Although he failed to get a base hit, he reached second on a throwing error and scored the winning run in the Dodgers' 5–3 victory.<ref>{{cite web|title=Boston Braves at Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: April 15, 1947|website=Baseball-Reference.com|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194704150.shtml|access-date=April 11, 2019}}</ref> Robinson became the first player since 1884 to openly break the major league baseball color line. Black fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams.<ref name="Satch2"/>

Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspapers and white major league players.<ref name=SABRbio/><ref>{{cite news |title=How media covered Jackie Robinson's Debut |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/01/31/how-media-covered-jackie-robinsons-debut/38986241/ |work=[[USA Today]] |agency=Associated Press |date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> However, racial tension existed in the Dodger clubhouse.<ref name="history.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jackie-robinson-breaks-color-barrier |title=Jackie Robinson breaks major league color barrier |date=November 24, 2009 |access-date=October 21, 2011 |publisher=[[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]}}</ref> Some Dodger players insinuated they would sit out rather than play alongside Robinson. The brewing mutiny ended when Dodgers management took a stand for Robinson. Manager [[Leo Durocher]] informed the team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded."<ref>[[#Kirwin|Kirwin]], p. 198.</ref>

Robinson was also derided by opposing teams.<ref>[[#Giglio|Giglio]], pp. 150–151.</ref> According to a press report, the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] threatened to [[Strike action|strike]] if Robinson played and spread the walkout across the entire National League.<ref name="strike">{{cite magazine|last=Corbett|first=Warren|title=The 'Strike' Against Jackie Robinson: Truth or Myth?|journal=Baseball Research Journal|date=Spring 2017|volume=46|issue=1|pages=88–93|issn=0734-6891|url=https://sabr.org/research/strike-against-jackie-robinson-truth-or-myth|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> Existence of the plot was said to have been leaked by the Cardinals' team physician, Robert Hyland, to a friend, the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]''{{'}}s [[Rud Rennie]]. The reporter, concerned about protecting Hyland's anonymity and job, in turn leaked it to his ''Tribune'' colleague and editor, [[Stanley Woodward (editor)|Stanley Woodward]], whose own subsequent reporting with other sources protected Hyland.<ref>[[#Kahn|Kahn]], pp. 259–267.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Krell|first1=David|title= "Our Bums": The Brooklyn Dodgers in History, Memory and Popular Culture|date=2015|publisher=McFarland|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4766-1973-6|pages=93–94|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2RHNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA94}}</ref><ref name="Giglio">[[#Giglio|Giglio]], pp. 152–153.</ref> The Woodward article made national headlines. After it was published, National League President [[Ford Frick]] and [[Baseball Commissioner]] [[Happy Chandler]] let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. "You will find that the friends that you think you have in the press box will not support you, that you will be outcasts," Frick was quoted as saying. "I do not care if half the league strikes. Those who do it will encounter quick retribution. All will be suspended and I don't care if it wrecks the National League for five years. This is the United States of America and one citizen has as much right to play as another."<ref name="Giglio"/><ref>[[#Kirwin|Kirwin]], p. 199.</ref><ref>[[#Eig|Eig]], p. 95.</ref><ref>[[#Bryant|Bryant]], p. 70.</ref> Woodward's article received the [[E. P. Dutton]] Award in 1947 for Best Sports Reporting.<ref name="Giglio"/> The Cardinals players denied that they were planning to strike, and Woodward later told author [[Roger Kahn]] that Frick was his true source; writer Warren Corbett said that Frick's speech "never happened".<ref name="strike"/> Regardless, the report led to Robinson receiving increased support from the [[Sports journalism|sports media]]. Even ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]'', a publication that had backed the color line, came out against the idea of a strike.<ref name="strike"/>

Robinson nonetheless became the target of rough physical play by opponents (particularly the Cardinals). At one time, he received a seven-inch gash in his leg from [[Enos Slaughter]].<ref name="pbs">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_jackie.html |title=Jackie Robinson integrates Baseball |access-date=September 14, 2009 |last=Wormser |first=Richard |publisher=Public Broadcasting Service |year=2002}}</ref> On April 22, 1947, during a game between the Dodgers and the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], Phillies players and manager [[Ben Chapman (baseball)|Ben Chapman]] called Robinson a "[[nigger]]" from their [[Dugout (baseball)|dugout]] and yelled that he should "go back to the cotton fields".<ref>[[#Williams and Sielski|Williams and Sielski]], p. 9.</ref> Rickey later recalled that Chapman "did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers. When he poured out that string of unconscionable abuse, he solidified and united thirty men."<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Ken Burns|Burns, Ken]] (writer and director) |date=1994 |title=[[Baseball (TV series)|Baseball]], Part 6 |medium=Television production |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service]]}}</ref>

However, Robinson received significant encouragement from several major league players. Robinson named [[Lee Handley|Lee "Jeep" Handley]], who played for the Phillies at the time, as the first opposing player to wish him well.<ref name=Astor>{{cite book|last1=Astor|first1=Gerald|title=The Baseball Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book|date=1988|publisher=Prentice Hall Press|pages=221–222|isbn=978-0-13-056573-0}}</ref> Dodgers teammate [[Pee Wee Reese]] once came to Robinson's defense with the famous line, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them."<ref name="Newman">{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070412&content_id=1895445&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=1947: A time for change |access-date=May 5, 2019 |last=Newman |first=Mark |date=April 13, 2007 |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407050137/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070412&content_id=1895445&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=April 7, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1947 or 1948, Reese is said to have put his arm around Robinson in response to fans who shouted racial slurs at Robinson before a game in Boston or Cincinnati.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2007/04/24/debunkers-strike-out/ |title=Debunkers Strike Out |access-date=December 2, 2020 |last=Barra |first=Allen |date=April 24, 2007 |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sportsworld.nbcsports.com/the-embrace/ |title=The Embrace |access-date=December 2, 2020 |last=Posnanski |first=Joe |date=April 27, 2016 |work=[[NBC Sports]]}}</ref> A [[Reese and Robinson Monument|statue]] by sculptor [[William Behrends]], unveiled at [[KeySpan Park]] on November 1, 2005, depicts Reese with his arm around Robinson.<ref>{{cite news |title=From Clay to Bronze to the Hall |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=June 1, 2008 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/baseball/01oneil.html |access-date=July 12, 2009}}</ref> [[Jewish]] baseball star [[Hank Greenberg]], who had to deal with ethnic epithets during his career, also encouraged Robinson. Following an incident where Greenberg collided with Robinson at first base, he "whispered a few words into Robinson's ear", which Robinson later characterized as "words of encouragement".<ref name="Greenberg"/> Greenberg had advised him to overcome his critics by defeating them in games.<ref name="Greenberg">{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2000/01/12/2000-01-12__greenberg__a_home_run.html |title='Greenberg' A Home Run |access-date=October 12, 2008 |last=Mathews |first=Jack |date=January 12, 2000 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706072855/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2000/01/12/2000-01-12__greenberg__a_home_run.html |archive-date=July 6, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Robinson also talked frequently with [[Larry Doby]], who endured his own hardships since becoming the first black player in the [[American League]] with the [[Cleveland Indians]], as the two spoke to each other via telephone throughout the season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Livingston |first1=Otis |title=Larry Doby: Second to none |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/larry-doby-second-to-none-streams-tonight-on-cbs-news-new-york/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=October 6, 2022}}</ref>

Robinson finished the season having played in 151 games for the [[Dodgers]], with a batting average of .297, an [[on-base percentage]] of .383, and a .427 [[slugging percentage]]. He had 175 hits (scoring 125 runs) including 31 [[Double (baseball)|doubles]], 5 [[Triple (baseball)|triples]], and 12 home runs, driving in 48 runs for the year. Robinson led the league in [[Sacrifice bunt|sacrifice hits]], with 28, and in stolen bases, with 29.<ref>[[#Eig|Eig]], p. 224.</ref> His cumulative performance earned him the inaugural [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award]] (separate National and American League Rookie of the Year honors were not awarded until 1949).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlb.com/mlb/awards/mlb_awards_content.jsp?content=roy_history |title=Rookies of the Year |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |access-date=June 20, 2022|archive-date=November 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124013912/http://www.mlb.com/mlb/awards/mlb_awards_content.jsp?content=roy_history |url-status=dead }}</ref>

That year, the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] won the National League pennant and went on to face the [[1947 New York Yankees|Yankees]] in the [[1947 World Series]]. Robinson became the first black player to play in the World Series. He appeared in all seven games, with the Dodgers ultimately losing in Game 7.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 208–213.</ref>

====MVP, Congressional testimony, and film biography (1948–1950)====
{{further|Paul Robeson Congressional hearings}}

Following Stanky's trade to the [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] in March 1948, Robinson took over second base, where he logged a .980 [[fielding percentage]] that year (second in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] at the position, fractionally behind Stanky). Robinson had a batting average of .296 and 22 stolen bases for the season.<ref name="stats">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinja02.shtml |title=Jackie Robinson Career Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> In a 12–7 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 29, 1948, he [[Hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]]—a [[home run]], a [[triple (baseball)|triple]], a [[double (baseball)|double]], and a [[single (baseball)|single]] in the same game.<ref name="lester">{{cite web|url=http://larrylester42.com/my-hero/ |title=My Hero&nbsp;– Jackie Robinson |access-date=October 30, 2008 |last=Lester |first=Larry |year=2007 |publisher=LarryLester42.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120130946/http://www.larrylester42.com/my-hero |archive-date=November 20, 2008 }}</ref> The Dodgers briefly moved into first place in the National League in late August 1948, but they ultimately finished third as the Braves went on to win the pennant and lose to the Cleveland Indians in the [[1948 World Series|World Series]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman |location=Lincoln |last=Lowenfish |first=Lee |year=2007 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-1103-2 |chapter=A Year of Disappointment, Odd Choices, and an Adieu to Leo |page=461}}</ref>

[[File:Jackie Robinson 1949 National League MVP.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Robinson holding the 1949 [[National League MVP Award]].|alt=A black man in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and a cap with the letter "B", smiling while holding a plaque.]]

Racial pressure on Robinson eased in 1948 when a number of other black players entered the major leagues. [[Larry Doby]] (who broke the color barrier in the [[American League]] on July 5, 1947, just 11 weeks after Robinson) and [[Satchel Paige]] played for the [[Cleveland Indians]], and the Dodgers had three other black players besides Robinson. In February 1948, he signed a $12,500 contract (equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|12500|1948}}}} today) with the Dodgers; while a significant amount, this was less than Robinson made in the off-season from a [[vaudeville]] tour, where he answered pre-set baseball questions and a speaking tour of the South. Between the tours, he underwent surgery on his right ankle. Because of his off-season activities, Robinson reported to training camp {{Convert|30|lb|kg}} overweight. He lost the weight during training camp, but dieting left him weak at the plate.<ref>[[#Linge|Linge]], pp. 71–72.</ref> In 1948, Wendell Smith's book, ''Jackie Robinson: My Own Story'', was released.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berry |first1=Adam |title=Pittsburgh reporter stood by Jackie's side |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/wendell-smith-remembered-in-jackie-robinson-legacy |website=[[MLB.com]] |date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2024}}</ref>

In the spring of 1949, Robinson turned to Hall of Famer [[George Sisler]], working as an advisor to the Dodgers, for batting help. At Sisler's suggestion, Robinson spent hours at a batting tee, learning to hit the ball to right field. Sisler taught Robinson to anticipate a fastball, on the theory that it is easier to subsequently adjust to a slower curveball. Robinson also noted that "Sisler showed me how to stop lunging, how to check my swing until the last fraction of a second". The tutelage helped Robinson raise his batting average from .296 in 1948 to .342 in 1949.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball's Forgotten Great |last=Huhn |first=Rick |year=2004 |publisher=University of Missouri Press |location=Columbia |isbn=978-0-8262-1555-0 |chapter=Full Circle |page=260 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/sizzlergeorgesis0000huhn/page/260/mode/2up |chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref> In addition to his improved batting average, Robinson stole 37 bases that season, was second place in the league for both doubles and triples, and registered 124 [[Run batted in|runs batted in]] with 122 runs scored.<ref name=schwartz/> For the performance Robinson earned the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] for the National League.<ref name=schwartz/> Baseball fans also voted Robinson as the starting second baseman for the [[1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1949 All-Star Game]] — the first All-Star Game to include black players.<ref>In addition to Robinson, the 1949 All-Star game featured [[Larry Doby]], [[Roy Campanella]], and [[Don Newcombe]]. ''See'' {{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/99asg/99asgf17.htm|title=An All-Star Game for all|last=Johnson|first=Chuck|date=July 13, 1999|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=October 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718211904/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/99asg/99asgf17.htm|archive-date=July 18, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor=Paul Humphrey |title=America in the 20th Century: 1940–1949 |publisher=[[Marshall Cavendish]] |year=2003 |orig-year=1995 |edition=2nd |volume=5 |location=Tarrytown, New York |page=709 |isbn=978-0-7614-7369-5}}</ref>

That year, a song about Robinson by [[Buddy Johnson]], "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?", reached number&nbsp;13 on the charts; [[Count Basie]] recorded a famous version.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/did-you-see-jackie-robinson-hit-that-ball/|title=Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009072050/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/music.html|archive-date=October 9, 2006|access-date=April 16, 2019|url-status=live|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Ultimately, the Dodgers won the National League pennant, but lost in five games to the [[New York Yankees]] in the [[1949 World Series]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 219–222.</ref>

Summer 1949 brought an unwanted distraction for Robinson. In July, he was called to testify before the [[United States House of Representatives]]' [[House Committee on Un-American Activities|Committee on Un-American Activities]] (HUAC) concerning statements made that April by black athlete and actor [[Paul Robeson]]. Robinson was reluctant to testify, but he eventually agreed to do so, fearing it might negatively affect his career if he declined.<ref>[[#Duberman|Duberman]], pp. 361–362.</ref>

[[File:Jackie robinson story.jpg|thumb|alt=A white man, standing, shakes his fist under the chin of a black man, sitting, who reacts calmly. Inset picture of a black baseball player at bat is overlaid with the caption: "The Jackie Robinson Story."|Lobby card for ''The Jackie Robinson Story'', 1950, with [[Minor Watson]] (left, playing Dodgers president [[Branch Rickey]]) and Robinson]]

In 1950, Robinson led the National League in [[double play]]s made by a second baseman with 133.<ref name="lester"/> His salary that year was the highest any Dodger had been paid to that point: $35,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|35000|1950}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars). He finished the year with 99 runs scored, a .328 batting average, and 12 stolen bases.<ref name="stats"/> The year saw the release of a film biography of Robinson's life, ''[[The Jackie Robinson Story]]'', in which Robinson played himself, and actress [[Ruby Dee]] played Rachel "Rae" (Isum) Robinson.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Brody |first1=Richard |title=When Jackie Robinson Played "Jackie Robinson" |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/when-jackie-robinson-played-jackie-robinson |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=April 19, 2013}}</ref> The project had been previously delayed when the film's producers refused to accede to demands of two Hollywood studios that the movie include scenes of Robinson being tutored in baseball by a white man.<ref name="LIFE1950">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|LIFE]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BE0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA129 |date=May 8, 1950 |title=Jackie Robinson's Double Play |access-date=February 24, 2013}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that Robinson, "doing that rare thing of playing himself in the picture's leading role, displays a calm assurance and composure that might be envied by many a Hollywood star."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |title='Jackie Robinson Story', With Baseball Star Playing Himself, Is Shown in Astor Theatre |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/05/17/archives/the-screen-in-review-jackie-robinson-story-with-baseball-star.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 17, 1950}}</ref>

Robinson's Hollywood exploits, however, did not sit well with Dodgers co-owner [[Walter O'Malley]], who referred to Robinson as "Rickey's [[prima donna]]".<ref>[[#Stout|Stout]], p. 160.</ref> In late 1950, Rickey's contract as the Dodgers' team President expired. Weary of constant disagreements with O'Malley, and with no hope of being re-appointed as President of the Dodgers, Rickey cashed out his one-quarter financial interest in the team, leaving O'Malley in full control of the franchise.<ref>[[#Stout|Stout]], p. 162.</ref> Rickey shortly thereafter became general manager of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]. Robinson was disappointed at the turn of events and wrote a sympathetic letter to Rickey, whom he considered a father figure, stating, "Regardless of what happens to me in the future, it all can be placed on what you have done and, believe me, I appreciate it."<ref>[[#Long|Long]], p. 7.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Robinson, Jackie |year=1950 |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jaraglet.html |title=Letter to Branch Rickey |publisher= Library of Congress |access-date=September 12, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/document-deep-dive-the-heartfelt-friendship-between-jackie-robinson-and-branch-rickey-19817525/?no-ist|title=Document Deep Dive: The Heartfelt Friendship Between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey|first=John|last=Hanc|date=April 10, 2013|magazine=Smithsonian|access-date=September 19, 2017}}</ref>

====Pennant races and outside interests (1951–1953)====
Before the 1951 season, O'Malley reportedly offered Robinson the job of manager of the Montreal Royals, effective at the end of Robinson's playing career. O'Malley was quoted in the ''[[Montreal Standard]]'' as saying, "Jackie told me that he would be both delighted and honored to tackle this managerial post"—although reports differed as to whether a position was ever formally offered.<ref>{{cite news |title=Robinson Linked to Montreal Job |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |agency=United Press |date=March 25, 1951 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TAMiAAAAIBAJ&pg=3670,3811383&hl=en |page=37 |access-date=September 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Robinson Offered Managerial Berth |date=March 25, 1951 |page=27 |newspaper=[[Reading Eagle]] |agency=United Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HUUuAAAAIBAJ&pg=5339,1955903&hl=en |access-date=September 7, 2020}}</ref>

During the 1951 season, Robinson led the National League in double plays made by a second baseman for the second year in a row, with 137.<ref name="lester"/> He also kept the Dodgers in contention for the 1951 pennant. During the last game of the regular season, in the 13th inning, he had a hit to tie the game and then hit a home run in the 14th inning, which proved to be the winning margin. This forced a best-of-three playoff series against the crosstown rival [[History of the New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Bitker|first=Steve|title=The Original San Francisco Giants: The Giants of '58|publisher=Sports Publishing LLC|year=2001|page=196|isbn=978-1-58261-335-2}}</ref>

[[File:Jackie Robinson No5 comic book cover.jpg|upright|thumb|''Jackie Robinson'' comic book, issue No. 5, 1951|alt=A comic book cover titled "Jackie Robinson" depicts a black man in a Brooklyn Dodgers cap; inset image on the cover shows a black baseball player covering a slide at second base.]]

Despite Robinson's regular-season heroics, on October 3, 1951, the Dodgers lost the pennant on [[Bobby Thomson]]'s famous home run, known as the [[Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)|Shot Heard 'Round the World]]. Overcoming his dejection, Robinson dutifully observed Thomson's feet to ensure he touched all the bases. Dodgers sportscaster [[Vin Scully]] later noted that the incident showed "how much of a competitor Robinson was."<ref name="Impact">{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2007/m04/d12/c1895331.jsp |title=Robinson made impact on field, too |access-date=October 11, 2008 |last=Bloom |first=Barry |date=April 13, 2007 |work=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]]}}</ref> He finished the season with 106 runs scored, a batting average of .335, and 25 stolen bases.<ref name="stats"/>

Robinson had what was an average year for him in 1952.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Jackie Robinson and the Third Age of Modern Baseball |last=Shiner |first=David |title=Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports, and the American Dream |page=154|title-link=#Dorinson }}</ref> He finished the year with 104 runs, a .308 batting average, and 24 stolen bases. He did, however, record a career-high [[on-base percentage]] of .436.<ref name="stats"/> The Dodgers improved on their performance from the year before, winning the National League pennant before losing the [[1952 World Series]] to the New York Yankees in seven games.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 230–234.</ref> That year, on the television show ''Youth Wants to Know'', Robinson challenged the Yankees' general manager, [[George Weiss (baseball)|George Weiss]], on the racial record of his team, which had yet to sign a black player.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/04/13/1997-04-13_the_legacy__race_through_time.html |title=The Legacy of Race Through Time |access-date=October 28, 2008 |date=April 13, 1997 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408185940/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1997/04/13/1997-04-13_the_legacy__race_through_time.html |archive-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Sportswriter [[Dick Young (sportswriter)|Dick Young]], whom Robinson had described as a "bigot", said, "If there was one flaw in Jackie, it was the common one. He believed that everything unpleasant that happened to him happened because of his blackness."<ref>[[#Falkner|Falkner]], p. 213.</ref> The 1952 season was the last year Robinson was an everyday starter at second base. Afterward, Robinson played variously at first, second, and third bases, shortstop, and in the [[outfielder|outfield]], with [[Jim Gilliam]], another black player, taking over everyday second base duties. Robinson's interests began to shift toward the prospect of managing a major league team. He had hoped to gain experience by managing in the [[Puerto Rico Baseball League|Puerto Rican Winter League]], but according to the ''[[New York Post]]'', Commissioner Happy Chandler denied the request.<ref name="Tygiel 2002, p. 34">[[#Tygiel2|Tygiel (2002)]], p. 34.</ref>

In 1953, Robinson had 109 runs, a .329 batting average, and 17 steals, leading the Dodgers to another National League pennant (and another [[1953 World Series|World Series]] loss to the Yankees, this time in six games).<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 235–238.</ref> Robinson's continued success spawned a string of death threats.<ref>[[#Long|Long]], pp. 10–11.</ref> He was not dissuaded, however, from addressing racial issues publicly. That year, he served as editor for ''Our Sports'' magazine, a periodical focusing on Negro sports issues; contributions to the magazine included an article on golf course segregation by Robinson's old friend [[Joe Louis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/learn//collections/jr/history.html |title=Jackie Robinson and baseball highlights, 1860s–1960s |access-date=September 13, 2009 |date=September 26, 2002 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810071209/http://memory.loc.gov/learn//collections/jr/history.html |archive-date=August 10, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jr1947.html |title=Robinson as a Dodger: 1947–1956 |work=Baseball, the Color Line, and Jackie Robinson |access-date=September 12, 2009 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Robinson also openly criticized segregated hotels and restaurants that served the Dodger organization; a number of these establishments integrated as a result, including the five-star [[Chase Park Plaza Hotel|Chase Park Hotel]] in St. Louis.<ref name="pbs"/><ref>[[#Erskine and Rocks|Erskine and Rocks]], pp. 61–74.</ref>

====World Championship and retirement (1954–1956)====
In 1954, Robinson had 62 runs scored, a .311 batting average, and 7 steals. His best day at the plate was on June 17, when he hit two home runs and two doubles.<ref name="stats"/><ref name="lester"/> The following autumn, Robinson won his only championship when the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the [[1955 World Series]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 243–248.</ref> Although the team enjoyed ultimate success, 1955 was the worst year of Robinson's individual career. He hit .256 and stole only 12 bases. The Dodgers tried Robinson in the outfield and as a [[third baseman]], both because of his diminishing abilities and because Gilliam was established at second base.<ref>[[#Eig|Eig]], p. 269.</ref> Robinson, then 36 years old,<ref>{{cite news|last=Shaikin|first=Bill|title=It's Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday. Here's how you can watch him play|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 14, 2020|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2020-04-14/dodgers-jackie-robinson-day-brooklyn-1955-world-series-vin-scully-yankees|access-date=September 4, 2020}}</ref> missed 49 games and did not play in Game 7 of the World Series.<ref name="Impact"/> He missed the game because manager [[Walter Alston]] decided to play Gilliam at second and [[Don Hoak]] at third base. That season, the Dodgers' [[Don Newcombe]] became the first black major league pitcher to win twenty games in a year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hoffman |first1=Benjamin |title=In Don Newcombe, Baseball Got Its First Black Ace |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/sports/don-newcombe-black-aces.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

In 1956, Robinson had 61 runs scored, a .275 batting average, and 12 steals.<ref name="stats"/> By then, he had begun to exhibit the effects of [[diabetes]] and to lose interest in the prospect of playing or managing professional baseball.<ref name="Tygiel 2002, p. 34"/> Robinson ended his major league career when he struck out to end Game 7 of the [[1956 World Series]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 249–253.</ref> After the season, the Dodgers traded Robinson to the arch-rival [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] for [[Dick Littlefield]] and $35,000 cash (equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|35000|1956}}}} today). The trade, however, was never completed; unbeknownst to the Dodgers, Robinson had already agreed with the president of [[Chock full o'Nuts]] to quit baseball and become an executive with the company.<ref name=Lingep114>[[#Linge|Linge]], p. 114.</ref> Since Robinson had sold exclusive rights to any retirement story to [[Look (American magazine)|''Look'']] magazine two years previously,<ref name=Lingep114/> his retirement decision was revealed through the magazine, instead of through the Dodgers organization.<ref name=mlb.com>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070603&content_id=2003372&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Jackie Robinson: Gone but not forgotten |access-date=May 5, 2019 |last=Bloom |first=Barry M. |date=June 4, 2007 |work=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302110739/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070603&content_id=2003372&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=March 2, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>