Jackie Robinson
- Jackie RobinsonComplete statistics on Jackie Robinson from Baseball Reference.
- Jackie Robinson: Baseball Hall of FameThe impact Robinson made on Major League Baseball is one that will be forever remembered. On April 15 each season, every team in the majors celebrates Jackie Robinson Day in honor of when he broke the color barrier in baseball, becoming the first African-American player in the 20th century to take the field in the American or National league. He opened the door for many others and will forever be honored for his contribution to the game.
- Jackie Robinson: Classic Photos of an American IconWhen Jack Roosevelt Robinson stepped onto Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, he not only changed the face of professional baseball in America.
- Jackie Robinson BiographyJack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. His mother, Mallie Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her four other children. They were the only black family on their block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond. From this humble beginning would grow the first baseball player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier that segregated the sport for more than 50 years.
- Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights AdvocateJack Roosevelt Robinson (1919-72), the first black man to "officially" play in the big leagues in the 20th century, possessed enormous physical talent and a fierce determination to succeed. In the course of a distinguished 10-year career beginning in 1947, Robinson led the Brooklyn Dodgers to six National League titles and one victorious World Series. Beyond his many and stellar baseball feats, Jackie Robinson went on to champion the cause of civil rights when he retired from the game.
- By Popular Demand: Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s2007 marks the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's rookie season for the Brooklyn Dodgers. When he stepped onto Ebbets field on April 15th, 1947, Robinson became the first African American in the twentieth century to play baseball in the major leagues -- breaking the "color line," a segregation practice dating to the nineteenth century. Jackie Robinson was an extremely talented multi-sport athlete and a courageous man who played an active role in civil rights. This presentation was created to commemorate his achievements and describe some aspects of the color line's development and the Negro Leagues. Materials that tell his story, and the history of baseball in general, are located throughout the Library of Congress. This web presentation was made possible by a generous gift from the Citigroup Foundation.
Streaming Films
- Jackie Robinson An African American Baseball Player and Civil Rights ActivistJack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.”
Willie Mays
- Willie Mays: Baseball Hall of FameMays played 21 seasons with the Giants, and finished up with the Mets in 1972 and 1973. He hit over .300 10 times, en route to a career .302 mark, and finished with 3,283 hits.
- Willie Mays: Photos of the Say Hey Kid, On and Off the DiamondWith all due respect to Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, and even Babe Ruth, Willie Mays was the greatest all-around player baseball has ever seen. The epitome of the “five tool” threat he could run, throw, field and hit for average and with astonishing power Mays bedeviled opponents and thrilled fans for more than two decades.
Streaming Films
- Mr. MantleMickey Mantle, one of baseball's strongest switch hitters, runs faster than any man in baseball, and he is one of the greatest players in baseball history. Season after season, everything seemed to betray Mantle. His physical ailments were numerous. After the death of his father, Mantle carouses and drinks as if each day were his last. Distributed by PBS Distribution.
- Say Hey, Willie Mays!Willie Mays’ life is a beacon of the “American Dream,” intersecting with a transformative era of the Black American experience. Mays transfixed fans from coast to coast with his style, jubilant persona and contagious smile, and helped to erode racial barriers and move the sport of baseball, and the American dialog, forward. This documentary follows Mays’ life both on and off the field over five decades as he navigated the American sports landscape and the country’s ever-evolving cultural backdrop, all while helping to define what it means to be one of America’s first Black sports superstars. He left an indelible mark in New York City and San Francisco, building a love affair with both cities’ fans. An HBO Production.
Perspectives
I Never Had It Made
The bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson Before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues. I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment"--Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball. More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr. I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.
The Last Boy
Award-winning sports writer Jane Leavy follows her New York Times runaway bestseller Sandy Koufax with the definitive biography of baseball icon Mickey Mantle. The legendary Hall-of-Fame outfielder was a national hero during his record-setting career with the New York Yankees, but public revelations of alcoholism, infidelity, and family strife badly tarnished the ballplayer's reputation in his latter years. In The Last Boy, Leavy plumbs the depths of the complex athlete, using copious first-hand research as well as her own memories, to show why The Mick remains the most beloved and misunderstood Yankee slugger of all time.
Jackie Robinson
Examines the athletic prowess of the first African American to play professional baseball.
Mickey Mantle
- Mickey Mantle: Photo ArchiveA photo archive of Mickey Mantle from Life.
- Mickey Mantle: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on Mickey Mantle. Includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.
- Mickey MantleComplete statistics on Mickey Mantle from Baseball Reference.
- Mickey Mantle: Baseball Hall of FameMickey Mantle was an iconic baseball player with immense talent. His drive and love for the game pushed him past injuries and into the record books.
Streaming Films
- Mickey Mantle - AthleteWatch a short biography video of Mickey Mantle, who is considered one of the greatest players of all time.