That same season he won the Rookie of the Year award with a batting average of .297, 175 hits, 12 home runs, and 48 runs batted in…

Born on January 31st, 1919, in Georgia, Jackie Robinson played baseball, football, basketball, and ran track in college. Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers to play baseball and was a 28 year old rookie when he broke the color barrier.

That same season he won the Rookie of the Year award with a batting average of .297, 175 hits, 12 home runs, and 48 runs batted in. He was also the consummate team player who regularly laid down bunts and sacrifice hits to allow his teammates to advance on base or score. Fun Bunt Fact: His first-ever hit in the Major Leagues was a bunt and he went on to lead the league with 28 sacrifice hits during his debut season. When Robinson passed away in 1997 his jersey number (42) was retired throughout Major League Baseball and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as a Congressional Gold Medal.