On August 28, 1945 Jackie met Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers President. When Jackie met him, Branch Rickey told Jackie that he wanted him to sign him.
On October 23, 1945, Jackie signed with the Montreal Royals. April 18, 1946 Jackie Robinson made an organized baseball debut with the Montreal Royals in Jersey City. Finally on April 9, 1947 he was official called up to the major leagues by the Dodgers. In Robinson's rookie year he had twelve home runs, led the major league with twenty-nine stolen bases, and a .297 batting average. That year Jackie was named National League Rookie of the Year.
Breaking the color barrier was extremely hard for Jackie. Henry Aaron once said, " Life was unkind to black people who tried to bring the white world and the black world together."During his life the world was filled with prejudice. "Colored people" went to different schools than white people. They drank from different water fountains than white people. Schools,restaurants, and even hotels were separate. "Colored people" were forced to sit at the back of the bus. The Robinson family dealt with prejudice everyday and it only made them stronger at heart and at mind.
When Robinson began playing to the Dodgers he received many letters. Not all of the letters were fan mail, some of the letters were hate mail and even a death threat letter. The crowd in the stands booed at Robinson because they couldn't believe thathe had broken the color barrier of baseball. Branch Rickey had warned Jackie about the reaction he would get from the fans. Branch told Jackie "that he would have to turn the other cheek and silently suffer all the vile things that would come his way.".
It was not Jackie's way to just sit and take insults. Jackie Robinson was a fighter and a proud and competitive man. Jackie put up with the insults and did not react negatively. He put aside his pride Because of Jackie Robinson's selflessness he brought races close together.
