Today marks the 68th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 15, 1947, Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. His influence on the game is still felt every day, as every team has his No. 42 retired and posted in every ballpark.
Today, every player in the league will be wearing the No. 42. But one game is extra special. The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Seattle Mariners for the annual Civil Rights Game.
The MLB retired No. 42 league-wide in 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s first MLB game. Now that the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera has retired, there are no remaining active players with the number.
Then-commissioner Bud Selig also began Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, 2004. In 2007, the tradition of all players wearing No. 42 began.
“It's a great day,” Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder said this week. “Obviously, Jackie is the main reason why I'm able to play the game today. It's definitely a great day and it's definitely cool to wear No. 42 for one day a year.”
“April 15, 1947, is a day that resonates with history throughout Major League Baseball,” Selig said when announcing that players will be asked to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day in 2009. “With all Major League players, coaches and umpires wearing Jackie's No. 42, we hope to demonstrate the magnitude of his impact on the game of baseball. Major League Baseball will never forget the contributions that Jackie made both on and off the field."
While Robinson died in 1972, it’s clear that his memory lives on thanks to the thousands of African Americans who have played baseball since he stepped out onto Ebbets Field.