Jackie Robinson’s Death, 54 Years Later: What to Know About the Baseball Great’s Health Decline

NEED TO KNOW

• Jackie Robinson died from a heart attack at age 53 on Oct. 24, 1972.
• The professional baseball player had been diagnosed with diabetes when he was 37 and subsequently experienced a few strokes, heart attacks and partial blindness
• Beyond the sport, Robinson was a business executive, columnist and served on the NAACP’s board of directors

Jackie Robinson, the first Black athlete to play with a Major League Baseball team, died 54 years ago, but his impact on the sport continues to be felt today.

Before being discovered for his baseball talent, Robinson played for the 1939 University of California Los Angeles football team, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It wasn’t until late 1944, after he was drafted into the Army and honorably discharged, that he signed a contract with the Negro American League’s Kansas City Monarchs.

He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm team the following year, and two years later, Robinson broke the MLB’s color barrier when he made his debut with the Dodgers in 1947. Despite facing intense racial discrimination, Robinson persevered, becoming a trailblazer for racial integration in professional sports and a national hero.

During his nearly 10 years with the Dodgers, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, was named to six All-Star teams and helped Brooklyn win six National League titles and the 1955 World Series championship.

Robinson’s career with the Dodgers ended after the 1956 season. Although the team traded him to the New York Giants that year, Robinson chose to retire from baseball in 1957 rather than join his new team. Fifteen years later, the professional athlete died.

Here’s what to know about Jackie Robinson’s death and the legacy he left behind.

How did Jackie Robinson die?

Robinson died from a heart attack after suffering complications of heart disease and diabetes on Oct. 24, 1972, per the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and The New York Times.

His health issues began while he was still in the league, when he was diagnosed with diabetes at 37 years old, according to the University of California. By 50, he had nerve and artery damage in his legs, and soon after, he suffered two mild strokes.

Robinson’s health further declined with complete blindness in one eye and partial vision loss in the other, high blood pressure and three heart attacks, the third being fatal.

The MLB legend made his final public appearance nine days earlier at Game 2 of the World Series, where he spoke about his hopes that the first Black MLB manager would soon be hired.

“I’d like to live to see a Black manager; I’d like to live to see the day when there’s a Black man coaching at third base,” Robinson said, per the Library of Congress.

Where did Jackie Robinson die?

Robinson suffered his heart attack at his Stamford, Conn., home.

He later died at Stamford Hospital at 7:10 A.M., according to The New York Times.

How old was Jackie Robinson when he died?

Robinson was 53 years old when he died.

What was the public reaction to Jackie Robinson’s death?

Over 2,500 people, including former teammates and current athletes, attended Robinson’s funeral to mourn his death.

An excerpt from the ceremony program remembered him as someone whose impact changed not only people who personally knew him, but also those who only knew of him.

“The world is far better for his presence, our lives greatly enriched through his friendship, he is deeply embedded in our hearts and indelibly etched in our minds,” it read.

What legacy did Jackie Robinson leave behind?

Robinson is not only known as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but also as the player who integrated the sport at the major league level.

He won Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, and led the Dodgers to several national titles and a World Series championship.

His success and talent also earned him an election to the Hall of Fame in 1962, the first year he was eligible to be named on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first Black athlete to be inducted.

While Robinson requested that his Hall of Fame plaque make no mention of his role in breaking the league’s color barrier, the original 1962 plaque was recast with the support of his family in 2008 to read, in part, “Displayed tremendous courage and poise in 1947 when he integrated the modern major leagues in the face of intense adversity.”

After Robinson stepped off the field, he continued overcoming racial barriers in other ways. He became a vice president of personnel at Chock Full O’Nuts, making history as one of the first Black executives at a major American company, per the Jackie Robinson Museum. He helped establish Harlem’s Freedom National Bank and founded the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to expand access to credit and affordable housing for Black communities.

As a syndicated columnist for the New York Post and New York Amsterdam News, he wrote about sports, racial inequality and social issues. He also played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement, serving on the NAACP’s board of directors, chairing its Freedom Fund Drive and advising New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, according to the Library of Congress.

Following his death, Robinson’s wife, Rachel Robinson, established the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The legacy initiative provides four-year scholarships and support services, including career guidance, job placement and leadership development opportunities, to college students across the country from underrepresented backgrounds.

Additionally, Robinson has been honored by three United States presidents. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom; in 1997, President Bill Clinton joined the MLB for the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s debut with the Dodgers and led a ceremony retiring his number “42” (the only number retired in baseball across the league); and in 2005, President George W. Bush posthumously awarded Robinson the Congressional Gold Medal.

Robinson is survived by his wife, Rachel, and their two younger children, Sharon and David.

Read the original article on People