After his unfortunate exit from the Army, Jackie continued his activities in sports. “In 1945, Jackie played one season in the Negro Baseball League, traveling all over the Midwest with the Kansas City Monarchs.” As luck would have it, Jackie’s superb baseball talent did not go unnoticed. “In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey approached Jackie about joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American player since 1889.” (1) Branch Rickey was not man who shied away from controversy; he revolutionized the game of baseball three times. He was the genius behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the early half of the 20th century when they used their farm systems to develop players. This turned the Cardinals into a juggernaut that quite frequently beat on the big city boys from Chicago and New York. As previously stated he also signed Jackie Robinson, leading to a major breakthrough in baseballs color barrier. The third baseball revolution came when Rickey was president of the Continental League; he played an important role in the expansion of the American and National Leagues Rickey felt that the person destined to break baseballs color barrier had to be a special player. Not just a great athlete was needed but that person needed to be able to take the racial abuse that everyone knew was coming. “From the beginning of his career with the Dodgers, Robinson's will was tested. Even some of his new teammates objected to having an African-American on their team. People in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson, and he and his family received threats. Jackie took it all because Rickey made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism.” (2) His job was simple, go out and play baseball and let his play speak for him.