Once a longtime staple of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, former Spring Training facility Historic Dodgertown is now officially be known as the Jackie Robinson Training Complex going forward.
Major League Baseball, who announced plans to renovate the facility last November, announced the news of the name change at a press conference that was attended by members of the Robinson Family, including his wife Rachel and children, Sharon and David.
The complex will now serve as a year-round hub of amateur development initiatives and events focused on diversifying and strengthening the talent pipelines of baseball and softball.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a fan of Historic Dodgertown being renamed in honor of Robinson. “I think that’s fantastic,” he said.
“That’s always Dodgertown, so to be named after Jackie, now you’re talking about prospects from our country and outside the country, to be training, it’s fantastic.
“It’s such a great property to be maximized. I have very good memories of going to Dodgertown, hitting late after practice with Tommy Lasorda throwing me BP and telling me to chop down at the ball. I have a lot of good memories.”
Having paved the way for complete inclusion in the Majors, it’s fitting that the complex will now serve as a daily reminder to Robinson’s achievements both on-and-off the field.
Improvements to the facility are already in the works. What’s more, the complex will additionally play host to a multitude of events this summer, which will come at no cost to the participants.
