Jackie Robinson Batting

Jackie Robinson, forever known as the man who broke baseball’s color barrier, bats against the New York Yankees in the last pre-season game before the start of the regular season in 1950. Behind the plate are catcher Yogi Berra and umpire Augie Donatelli.

Robinson shook the baseball establishment and changed America forever in 1947, becoming the first African-American to play in the major leagues. By 1949, he was the National League’s Most Valuable Player, hitting a league-high .342 and driving in a career-high 124 runs for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He also led the majors with 37 stolen bases.

On the day this photo was taken, April 16, 1950, Robinson was in a pre-season slump, hitless in 13 trips to the plate. Once the games counted, Robinson was back on track, hitting .328 and belting 14 home runs for the season.