CSG-certified Jackie Robinson Card Celebrates the Legend on his Day

Over the storied history of baseball, a chilly day in Brooklyn stands as one of the most important. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped up to the plate against Boston Braves Pitcher Johnny Sain and forever changed the game of baseball by breaking the color line.

Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG®) was honored to recently certify this 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson rookie card, giving it a CSG 3 grade. Cards from this set are difficult to find in high grades, largely due to the age of the card and poor print quality. The set is very popular with collectors, due to the large number of Hall of Famers and its simple yet iconic design.

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The 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson features a smiling Robinson on the front with a yellow background and his name in a black box at the bottom of the card. The reverse features stats from Jackie’s rookie season. The new CSG label perfectly complements the card.

Robinson’s time in the Major League was fraught with difficulty. Before he even stepped out onto Ebbets Field, some of Robinson’s teammates attempted to organize a petition to prevent him from playing. He was frequently the recipient of racist taunts, hate mail, spiking by opposing players and even death threats.

And the legendary game was not a sell-out. Press coverage of the momentous occasion was almost non-existent. That day in Brooklyn, Jackie Robinson stood alone.

Every team in Major League Baseball has retired Robinson’s number “42”. Jackie finished his career with 1,518 hits, 137 homeruns and 734 RBIs during his ten-year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was elected the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.