A Notable Player
For him, playing ball would be just fine
Potentially his chance was less than zero
To overcome that black-white racist line
Unlike Duke, Dimag and Mickey
Jackie entered through back doors
The stage was set by Mr. Rickey
For Robinson to fight that Civil War
Sports, they say, mirrors society
So, they should have hung their heads in shame
For what was then America’s propriety
Brought prejudice to every game
The Brooklyn Bums, at long last, found salvation
When Robinson’s talents were revealed
With the awesome double-play combination
Reese and Jackie brought to Ebbetts Field
Stealing fan’s hearts with baseball fire
Displaying skills in every way
Robinson played with such desire
Stealing bases most every day
They could never expect for him the expected
He turned the most racist hate to love
And finally he was most respected
Respect that came from more than bat and glove
For Jackie, baseball was more than just a game
He opened doors for Campy, Mays and others
Number 42, now in the Hall of Fame
Proved men of all colors could play in life as brothers
He never asked to be a hero!
The genre is unique because it is a nice poem about a baseball hero who changed the game for everyone by having fun and simply just playing the game. There was a lot of discrimination at the time, it was difficult for a colored person to play the game every day without going through all the racial slurs, and violence. Jackie played with fire, he played the game with a passion so intense that no matter what kind of skin color he had, fans had to love the guy. The poem explained how he “opened doors for Campy, Mays, and others” because of Jackie Robinson, more players with colored skin were able to show what kind of talent they had to the world. Jackie knew coming in that he was going to receive prejudice and it wasn’t going to be easy, that is what the line is explaining when it said: “Jackie came in through the backdoor.” Jackie has changed the game of baseball for everyone, he made such a big impact on the game that on April 15th, every year, every player in the MLB wears Jackie’s number which is 42 during their games. This type of poem mentions the style Jackie played with and the emotions of the players and fans from the impact Jackie made. He is a true hero who sacrificed himself and faced hate, violence, threats everyday on and off the field so people with color can happily play the beautiful game of baseball without discrimination. He was a civil rights leader for sports, he truly is a notable player.
Cooper, Stanley, and Lawrence S. Pertillar. “Jackie Robinson…an American Hero.” PoemHunter.com, 2 Jan. 2006, www.poemhunter.com/poem/jackie-robinson-an-american-hero/.