Happy Birthday to the late and great Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Spending ten years with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he is remembered as the player who broke the color barrier. Fighting through adversity such as racist obscenities, hate mail, and death threats for most of his career, Robinson carved himself a great career in the Major Leagues. Spending his whole career with the Dodgers as a versatile player, he accomplished a whole lot in just ten years.

Career Statistics/Accolades (1947-1956):

.313 BA 1,563 HITS 141 HR 761 RBI .410 OBP 972 RUNS

  • 7x All-Star
  • 1947 Rookie of the Year
  • 1949 NL MVP
  • 1955 World Series Champion

As a Hitter

  Known for excellent plate discipline, contact hitting, and baserunning, Robinson was a great offensive player. Never once did Robinson strike out more than he walked. From 1949-54, Robinson recorded over a .300 AVG and .400 OBP. Robinson wasn’t a guy you wanted on base twice, he led in Stolen Bases. Also, he had six seasons of 100 runs scored. Forever known for stealing home in the 1955 World Series, he successfully stole home 19 times in his career.

As a Fielder

    I said the word “versatile” because Robinson could play multiple positions. Robinson played 1,000 or more Innings and 150 Games at four positions First Base, Second Base, Third Base, and Left Field. Most of his career saw Robinson play at Second Base, where he recorded an above-average .983 Fielding Percentage over the span of 748 Games and 6,396.1 Innings. Spending 256 Games and 2,086 Innings at Third Base, his .964 Fielding Percentage was .011 higher than the league average. In Left Field, his .989 Fielding Percentage over 150 Games and 1,171 Innings was .015 higher than the average. 

Best Years

   Hands down, 1949 was Jackie Robinsons’ best year, in which he won the MVP. That year, he won the Batting Title and had career highs in Hits and RBIs, and led the league in Stolen Bases. From 1947-54, was his peak, via Baseball-Reference:

Legacy

   Jackie Robinson went through hell for most of his career, being the one who broke the color barrier, which paved the way for others to come after him. As well as condoning himself in a very civil matter, he wasn’t just some guy player who was just good enough to be on a roster; he was one heck of a player. It wasn’t until his age 28 season when he made his debut with the Dodgers; had he debuted years earlier, he would’ve displayed more prime years. Establishing himself as a great baseball player as well as changing the game for the better, Robinson was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1962; not only is his #42 retired by the Dodgers but by every team in baseball as well. Despite only being able to play ten years in MLB, Robinson was ranked #44 on The Sporting News list of 100 Greatest Players in baseball history.

References:

  1. Jackie Robinson via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson#
  2. Jackie Robinson Career Statistics via Baseball-References: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinja02.shtml