He was the youngest of five children born to Mallie and Jerry Robinson. Just months after Robinson’s birth, his father, a sharecropper,ran off with a neighbor’s wife, and the plantation owner ordered the Robinsons off the land. In 1920 after his father abandoned his family his mother took sundry jobs to sustain her family. The remaining Robinsons lived with racial discrimination on the Jim Sasser plantation. Jackie's mother, Mallie, needed to find a better life for her children.Seeking a better life for her children, Mallie Robinson moved the family to Pasadena ,California. Her brother, Burton McGriff,lived there .There Jackie grew up watching his older brothers excel in sports. His brother Mack became a track star who won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1936 Olympics. Jackie overcame many obstacles in his 10 year career to become one of baseball’s most brilliant and outstanding players.There were many hardships that Jackie encountered . For example he and his family received many death threats. Also, he was discriminated by his teammates and fans. His talent help lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to six pennants and one world series championship. Here are some Jackie Robinson’s accomplishments and achievements. Robinson was named ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 1947 with a batting average of 297, 175 hits and 12 home runs.
In 1949, he earned the title of ‘Most Valuable Player’ for a batting average of