04/15/26 07:31:00
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04/15 19:30 CDT MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day as every player wears No. 42
on anniversary of his historic debut
MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day as every player wears No. 42 on anniversary
of his historic debut
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Major League Baseball honored Jackie Robinson on Wednesday
with every player, coach and umpire wearing his No. 42 to mark the 79th
anniversary of the infielder breaking the sport's color barrier.
Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He went on to win
Rookie of the Year honors, become a six-time All-Star and the 1949 National
League MVP. He played in six World Series, and won his only championship in
1955 with the Dodgers.
"Every player of color who now enjoys our great sport, they owe it to this
man," said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in
Kansas City, Missouri.
Robinson made his pro debut with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues
in 1945. He was there five months before Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey
interviewed him for possible selection to Brooklyn's International League farm
club. Rickey wanted to make sure Robinson could withstand the racial antagonism
without reacting angrily.
"What he did was incredibly difficult under some of the most harsh
circumstances you could ever imagine," Kendrick said. "He had to go out there
and deal not only with the racial hatred but he was carrying 21 million Black
folks on his back when he walked across those lines. Had he failed, an entire
race of people would have failed. That's an enormous amount of pressure. How he
did it with such grace, class and dignity is absolutely incredible. And no, we
should never forget Jackie Robinson."
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets gathered around the centerfield
statue of Robinson stealing home at Dodger Stadium. Among the Dodgers were
Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernndez, Will Smith, Roki Sasaki, Alex Vesia and Will
Klein. Shohei Ohtani, who has attended previously, was not there ahead of
pitching against the Mets later.
"A special day, especially for me as a Latino. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't
because of him," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Talk about dealing with
pressure at this level, imagine what he dealt with back in the day."
Dave Roberts, one of just two Black managers currently in the majors, told the
teams Robinson would be proud that they reflect his dream and vision of what
equality and unity would look like.
"My ask is that we remember how we got here," Roberts said.
In New York, Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. wore his pinstriped pants
loose and blousy and rolled at the knees the way many players did in the 1940s,
including Robinson.
A video commemorating Robinson and narrated by former Yankees pitcher CC
Sabathia was played on the stadium scoreboard before the team's game against
the Los Angeles Angels.
"You look at the diversity in our game as far as now, worldwide, and Jackie was
the start of opening those doors to not just Black players being able to play
but Latin America," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, "and now we have people
from all over the globe playing this, and Jackie was the start of all that."
In Pittsburgh, Pirates manager Don Kelly said, "It doesn't seem like one day is
enough to really give back to Jackie and what he meant to baseball and to
people."
Two of Robinson's granddaughters joined the teams at Dodger Stadium, not far
from Robinson's adopted hometown of Pasadena. He was a four-sport star at
Pasadena Junior College before going on to UCLA, where the Georgia native was
better known for football than baseball.
Last year, a historical marker honoring the Robinson family was unveiled by the
city of Pasadena at their former home.
"We're really carrying the legacy now and it's an incredible honor," said
granddaughter Ayo Robinson, whose father David is Robinson's youngest son.
"It's a weight that feels good because it keeps you grounded in what is so
important. I feel like the legacy is just as important today as it has ever
been."
Robinson's widow, Rachel, turns 104 in July. She lives in New York and still
visits the Jackie Robinson Museum.
"She's the strong matriarch of our family, surrounded by love and intention to
continue to allow her to live a life that she wanted," said granddaughter Sonya
Pankey Robinson, whose father was Jackie Robinson Jr.
Also on hand in Los Angeles were recipients of scholarships from the Jackie
Robinson Foundation.
For the first time in at least two decades, the percentage of Black players on
opening day rosters increased this season. Major League Baseball says 6.8% of
players on opening day rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were
Black, up from 6.2% at the start of the 2025 season and 6.0% at the start of
2024.
"He's an icon," Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "To take this day
and make it something special says a lot about the character of the game."
___
AP Sports Writers Will Graves in Pittsburgh, Steve Megargee in Milwaukee and
Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
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