Jackie Robinson integrates MLB
One of baseball’s most important roles has been to integrate elements of American society into the culture. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. He was first drafted as a first baseman by the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Over ten seasons, all of which but the first he played at second base, Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games, from 1949 to 1954, was the recipient of the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. His number, 42, was also retired across all major league teams.