From a baseball standpoint, Jackie Robinson enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career that spanned 10 years with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Among his many accolades include Rookie of the Year honors in 1947, six All-Star selections and an MVP award in 1949.
Most importantly, however, Robinson courageously broke the color barrier and paved the way for complete inclusion in the Major Leagues. One of the most significant pieces of Robinson’s history, a game-worn hat from the 1947-48 seasons, was recently auctioned off by Lelands, and sold for a record-setting price of $590,994.
The bidding, which began on Sept. 27, opened up with a starting price of $50,000. According to Robinson’s widow, Rachel, the hat contains metal plates that protected Robinson from intentional pitches that were thrown at his head.
Despite the hostile environments he played in during his inaugural season, Robinson earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1947 behind a league-leading 29 stolen bases, 12 home runs and .810 on-base plus slugging.
All-in-all Robinson accumulated 61.5 WAR (Baseball-Reference) in 10 seasons with the Dodgers and was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1962.
Later this November, Robinson’s historic contract with the Dodgers from 1947 will become available via Goldin Auctions. The bidding will conclude on Nov. 16 at the Jackie Robinson Museum, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Last May, Robinson’s contract from the 1949 season sold for $276,000. That figure surpassed Robinson’s signing bonus of $21,000 at the time, which approximately equates to $215,000 in today’s economy.
