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JACKIE ROBINSON (1919-1972)
The toughest part about hitting a baseball is not knowing what's coming. The true courage of Jackie Robinson lies in the fact that he did know what was coming. As the first black player in Major League Baseball, Robinson endured discrimination on and off the diamond, handling it the way he played ball -- with ferocity and dignity. He was baseball's Rookie of the Year in 1947, a National League MVP in 1949 and a hero to countless black athletes for decades to come.


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