Jackie Robinson was twenty-eight years old when he broke into the Major Leagues, yet he still won a unified Rookie of the Year Award.

Fifty years after he became the first modern black player, Major League Baseball chose his number as the first one to ever retire for every single team.

At the end of the 1949 season, Jackie Robinson was leading the league in stolen bases and batting average. He was named to his first All-Star Game, helped the Brooklyn Dodgers win the pennant by one game, and was awarded the Most Valuable Player.