Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons as a catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a member of the Negro League's Baltimore Elite Giants from 1937 to 1942. Beginning in 1948, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers until his retirement in 1957. During his career, he was in five World Series, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 (won), and 1956. He hit 242 home runs during his career. He was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, and 1955. In January 1958, he was in a car accident when his vehicle skidded on a patch of ice and crashed into a telephone pole in Glen Cove on the North Shore of Long Island. The accident left him paralyzed, and he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 1969, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and on June 4, 1972, the Dodgers (now in Los Angeles, California) retired his uniform Number 39. In 1999, he was listed as #50 on the 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time, and in 2006, he was commemorated on a United States postage stamp.
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons as a catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a member of the Negro League's Baltimore Elite Giants from 1937 to 1942. Beginning in 1948, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers until his retirement in 1957. During his career, he was in five World Series, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 (won), and 1956. He hit 242 home runs during his career. He was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, and 1955. In January 1958, he was in a car accident when his vehicle skidded on a patch of ice and crashed into a telephone pole in Glen Cove on the North Shore of Long Island. The accident left him paralyzed, and he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 1969, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and on June 4, 1972, the Dodgers (now in Los Angeles, California) retired his uniform Number 39. In 1999, he was listed as #50 on the 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time, and in 2006, he was commemorated on a United States postage stamp.
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