Branch Rickey was searching for the right man to become the first African American player in Major League Baseball. Rickey explained the challenges to player Jackie Robinson. He would face racism and require a unique type of courage to succeed, but if he did succeed, he could make the box score the only thing that mattered.
Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke baseball’s color barrier to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. A talented and versatile player, Robinson won the National League Rookie of the Year award his first season, and helped the Dodgers to the National League championship.
