In relating his life, Robinson reveals the struggles of a African American athlete in the white-dominated world of American sports The bestselling autobiography of American baseball and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson Before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues. I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment"--Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball. More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr. I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field. Introduction ix Cornel West Introduction xv Hank Aaron Preface: Today xxi Jackie Robinson The Noble Experiment A Dream Deferred 3(23) The Noble Experiment 26(11) Breaking the Color Barrier 37(16) The Major Leagues 53(18) ``Just Another Guy'' 71(7) My Own Man 78(9) The Price of Popularity 87(17) The Growing Family 104(12) The Ninth Inning 116(9) After the Ball Game New Horizons 125(10) Campaigning for Nixon 135(6) The Hall of Fame Award 141(4) Conflict at the Apollo 145(6) Crises at Home 151(11) On Being Black Among the Republicans 162(14) Differences with Malcolm X 176(7) The Freedom Bank 183(15) Hope and Disillusionment in White Politics 198(12) The Influence of Martin Luther King, Jr. 210(7) Jackie's Prison 217(19) Politics Today 236(8) ``. . . And He Was Free'' 244(15) Aftermath 259(9) Epilogue 268