Jackie Robinson baseball card, 1953
Subject
Jackie Robinson
(American, 1919 - 1972)
Maker
The Topps Company, Inc.
(American, founded 1938)
Date1953
ClassificationsPop Culture
DimensionsOverall: 5 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (13.3 x 8.3 cm)
Description1953 Topps Jackie Robinson #1 baseball card. The card is encapsulated in a PSA hard plastic case with PSA information at top. The card shows a color illustration of Robinson, wearing a blue cap and white jersey top. His information is contained in the proper left bottom corner on a black background. The verso of the card shows Robinson's career stats and information. 1953 was a tremendous season for Robinson offensively as he hit .329 had 109 runs and 17 steals as the Dodgers won the second consecutive pennant. Despite the fact that the Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series of 1953, it was still a historic season for the Dodgers. The season record of 105 wins still stands today as the greatest in franchise history. 1953 was also the year that Robinson took on the role of editor of “Our Sports,” a magazine focusing on black athletes and sports. He worked with former heavyweight champ Joe Louis to open golf courses to black participants and led the movement that finally de-segregated the last whites-only hotel used by the Dodgers, St. Louis’ Chase Park Hotel.
Baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) became the first African American player to break Major League Baseball’s (MLB) color barrier when he appeared with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Robinson’s impact was immediately felt, winning Rookie of the Year. In his 10-year MLB career, all with the Dodgers, Robinson held a .313 batting average with 141 home runs and 761 runs batted in. He earned six All-Star appearances, won the National League MVP in 1949, and won a World Series in 1955.
His success on the field, coupled with his personal beliefs of nonviolent protest, challenged the ideals of racial segregation. His efforts contributed heavily to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
