Majors celebrate 75th anniversary of Robinson’s debut
LOS ANGELES – Baseball celebrated the 75th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke the major league color barrier on Friday with an appreciation of his trailblazing life and an evaluation of how much farther the sport still must go.
Every player, coach and umpire on a major league field wore Robinson’s No. 42, as they have since 2009 on every April 15 – now known as Jackie Robinson Day.
But for the first time, everyone wore the numerals in the famed Dodger blue to highlight this milestone anniversary of the day Robinson first took the field with the Dodgers at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field in 1947.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the day is an important vehicle to raise awareness and to continue to shape attitudes in the sport and beyond.
“Jackie was all about looking out and looking forward,” said Roberts, who became the second Black manager to win the World Series in 2020. “So to appreciate how far we’ve come is certainly fair, but more important is where we need to go. That’s what pushes and challenges all of us to keep getting better and to make change. … What Jackie did was incredible, but we’ve got to keep going.”
Four hours before the Dodgers’ game against Cincinnati, Roberts led his players out to the park behind the outfield bleachers at Dodger Stadium to the plaza where a statue of Robinson has stood since 2017. The Dodgers gathered around and listened to remarks from Robinson’s son, David, who encouraged everyone to take constant stock of the U.S.’ progression on education and equality.
“Baseball, it’s bigger than us individually,” Roberts said. “So we all have a platform, an opportunity, a responsibility, as David said today, which is great.”
In a pregame ceremony at Chavez Ravine, former major leaguers Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson greeted and honored Rachel Robinson, the 99-yearold widow of the baseball great. Rachel Robinson waved and smiled at the crowd’s several hearty ovations.
The day is particularly special at Dodger Stadium, where Robinson’s memory never fades. Robinson grew up in Pasadena, 10 miles from the site of the Dodgers’ future home, and the park is festooned with his image and iconography.
“Growing up in the Dodgers organization, we made sure we knew what he means,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who spent his first seven seasons with the Dodgers as a player. “To be part of this, it’s a special day. I think they got it right, wearing Dodger blue for one day. … He changed the world, right? And we don’t live in a perfect world, still.
April 15 has become a day to reflect on Robinson’s legacy across the sport. Roberts and his fellow baseball leaders use Jackie Robinson Day to spotlight the perpetual fight toward equality for all races while embracing the sport’s importance in driving social change.
“It seems to get bigger and bigger as we go along, and rightly so,” San Diego manager Bob Melvin said. “The ultimate trailblazer in this game, and everybody’s proud to wear that number beyond belief now.”