STUDENT REPRODUCIBLE 1 STUDENT REPRODUCIBLE 2 STUDENT REPRODUCIBLE 3 STUDENT REPRODUCIBLE 4 ABOUT VALUES We all face barriers in our lives, even Major ESSAY Follow the steps in the diagram below to help BASEBALL Graphs, like the bar graph below, display MY AND League Baseball players. Read below to see how ORGANIZER you write an essay. In baseball, you have to follow MATH information about numbers. In the example FATH E R City Monarchs, Jackie Robinson played shortstop. BARRIERS some of these ballplayers face barriers by using bases as you run. Likewise in an essay, each step below, the length of each bar is proportional to By Sharon Robinson He hit .387, perfected his skill at stealing bases, Jackie Robinson’s Nine Values. is important and should be followed to complete the number it represents. Study this graph and and was selected for the league’s All-Star game. the essay. then answer the questions that follow, to learn They presented my father’s college statistics next. C.C. Sabathia, Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, more. April 15 marks the anniversary of Jackie Rickey learned that while at UCLA, my dad was Cleveland Indians™ St. Louis Cardinals™ Colorado Rockies™ Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in Major the leading basketball scorer in his conference, TOP PLAYERS WITH STOLEN BASES IN 2007 League Baseball. A student once asked me: “What the national champion in the long jump, an SECOND BASE Jose Reyes 78 is the color barrier?” Baseball’s “color barrier” All-American halfback in football, and a varsity signifies the period in American history when baseball shortstop. In fact, Robinson was the Juan Pierre 64 black and brown-skinned ballplayers were kept first athlete at UCLA to letter in four sports in a CREATE AN OUTLINE: out of the Majors. In 1947, my father, Jackie single year. As you write the outline, Hanley Ramirez 51 Robinson, broke through that barrier and opened In a now-famous meeting, Branch Rickey painted remember that each main idea KEN GRIFFEY, JR. DEREK JETER needs details to support it. the door for others to follow. the stressful conditions my father would face in the Cincinnati Reds™ New York Yankees™ Eric Byrnes 50 Fifty years later, Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life Majors. Rickey role-played a racist fan shouting ” Teamwork is . .about ” Like Jackie Robinson, I try THIRD BASE FIRST BASE was created to help students understand Jackie Carl Crawford 50 angry insults. A spiteful teammate might spike him working with others always to uphold the values Jackie Robinson’s Robinson’s legacy of change. By participating in with metal cleats. Rickey was testing if my father towards accomplishing I was raised with, those WRITE this program, you’ll come to understand the values would have the strength of character to fight back Nine Values TOPIC WRITE Brian Roberts 50 a common goal. instilled in me by my family. YERS that made my father successful on the field, and with his bat rather than his fist. My father agreed Teammates are found Regardless of what other SENTENCES: YOUR MAIN COURAGE A Chone Figgins 41 which also guided him as a parent. You’ll likewise to this approach. Two months later, he signed with inside and outside sports.” people think I should say or Doing what you know is the right Use the details from IDEAS: discover strengths in your own character to help do, I know who I am and thing even when it is hard to do your outline to help you. Make sure your main the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers™ farm team. —KEN GRIFFEY, JR. PL Jimmy Rollins 41 you overcome barriers in your life. Let’s get started! As predicted, my father played baseball against what I believe, and that DETERMINATION Now you’re ready to head ideas relate to your topic. Staying focused on a plan even though American baseball became popular during the amazing odds. He fought back with perfectly drives the choices I make home and BEGIN WRITING HOME PLATE the path to its end may be difficult Corey Patterson 37 Civil War. Briefly in the late 1800s, two black timed bunts, hard-line drives, in life.” YOUR ESSAY! Robinson was —DEREK JETER TEAMWORK ballplayers, Bud Fowler and and stolen bases. On April Working with other people Ichiro Suzuki 37 Jose Reyes, the first athlete New York Mets™ Moses Fleetwood Walker, 15, 1947 Jack Roosevelt toward a common goal “at UCLA to letter played alongside whites. But Robinson stepped onto the PERSISTENCE Start Here Shane Victorino 37 by 1890, Major League grass of Ebbets Field™ as a in four sports in Working toward a goal and continuing to move forward even CHOOSE A TOPIC: Baseball, like most of a single year. RYAN HOWARD member of the Brooklyn Philadelphia Phillies™ though you face obstacles or barriers Try to be as specific as ™ 0 20 40 60 80 America, was Dodgers . He went on to play ten seasons, earning INTEGRITY possible when you make ”Being successful demands STOLEN BASES “segregated”: such awards as Rookie of the Year and Most” Sticking to your values, regardless of your choice. black and Valuable Player. cultivating internal values what others think you should do that guide the way in which ICHIRO SUZUKI brown-skinned Jackie Robinson It took 13 long seasons before every Major Seattle Mariners™ CITIZENSHIP you conduct yourself both QUESTIONS (use separate paper to calculate your answers): CREATE YOUR OWN players were in the Negro Leagues, while whites Making a contribution that League Baseball team had at least one black player on and off the field. Seeing ”When I think about the improves the lives of others 1. Which baseball players had more than 50 stolen bases in 2007? BASEBALL MATH played in the Majors. on its roster. Today, Major League Baseball the courage and integrity pressure of playing and JUSTICE BEGIN WRITING YOUR ESSAY ESSAY CONTEST! BAR GRAPH In 1945, Branch Rickey, president and general players come from around the world and Treating all people fairly, no matter Write an essay about a barrier you displayed by Jackie Robinson doing my best, I try to After you’ve rounded the bases above, follow Visit www.MLB.com and manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers™, stepped continue to break barriers of throughout his life has had keep my thinking as who they are these helpful tips to begin your essay. have faced. In the essay, explain 2. How many more stolen bases did Carl Crawford have than how you used one or more of Ichiro Suzuki? choose “Stats” in the top tool forward to break baseball’s color barrier. He culture, language, race, and a great influence on me.” focused as possible. I am COMMITMENT • Try writing a few “practice” sentences Jackie Making a promise and following bar. Then click on different studied the field, using scouts to explore the pool religion. Like you, they face —RYAN HOWARD committed to doing well, Jackie Robinson’s nine values to Robinson through on it to get your mind ready to go. 3. Corey Patterson played in 132 games in 2007. On average, how of players. There were many Negro League players barriers and meet and I focus on that rather face your barrier. Use the menus to select statistics Robinson photo: © Bettmann/Corbis. MLB player photos: Courtesy Photos. many stolen bases did he have per game? than on the pressure.” EXCELLENCE • Use the outline you created on second organizer above to help you who were well-known and proven professional challenges with the same Doing the best that you possibly can you want to represent in a Jackie base to keep you on the right track. baseball players. Players such as Satchel Paige and set of values that helped —ICHIRO SUZUKI develop your ideas. As a 4th-to- bar graph. Don’t forget to 8th grader, you can enter the Josh Gibson certainly headed the list provided by my father succeed on and off • Your essay should begin with a good 4. Rickey Henderson has the most stolen bases in a career with label the side and bottom For quotes from Major League Players Breaking Barriers Essay Contest. Mr. Rickey’s scouts, but they agreed on Jack the field. on values and barriers, visit topic sentence. Creating a strong topic 1,406. Juan Pierre has 389 stolen bases in his career. How of your graph, as well as give VALUE: A belief that is important to you and helps to BREAKINGBARRIERS.MLB.com For more information, ask your many more seasons with 64 stolen bases would Pierre need to Roosevelt Robinson. sentence can help guide your writing. it a title. guide your life. teacher or visit pass Henderson for the most stolen bases in a career? top to bottom: Courtesy Robinson Family; © AP Images; Bettmann/Corbis. The scouts told Mr. Rickey that, during his Sharon Robinson Jermaine Dye, BARRIER: A problem or obstacle that stops you from BREAKINGBARRIERS.MLB.com. Chicago White Sox™ season with the Negro League team the Kansas Educator and Author Ê Cut here for your own Photos, moving forward. Jackie Robinson’s Nine Values bookmark. MLB player photos: Courtesy Photos. MLB player photos: Courtesy Photos. Baseball © imageshop/Jupiterimages..