On this date in 1957, baseball legend Jackie Robinson retired from the sport. He found immense stardom and popularity during his career while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was historically important to the United States and the sport of baseball because he was the first African-American to play for a major league baseball club in the United States. He was 38 years old when he retired from the sport he loved. He felt that he was getting too old to play baseball and that he would no longer be useful to any major league baseball club.
At 38 years old, one of the main obstacles he had was staying in shape to keep up with the younger guys in the league like Willie Mays. He believed that he needed to lose at least 20 pounds before he was fit enough to be useful to a baseball team. When Robinson retired, he made a huge mark on America’s pastime. Playing as the first African-American in major league baseball, he helped end 60 years of racial segregation in the sport.
He won the World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 by beating the New York Yankees. After winning the World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he was traded to the New York Giants in 1956. Shortly after being traded, he retired in 1957 with plans to become an executive with a company called Chock Full O’Nuts. . He played his last match on October 10, 1956. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia and passed away on October 24, 1972. Many see him as a legend in the sport.
