April 15 is one of the most important dates as it represents when Jackie Robinson made his Major League debut and broke the color barrier. Wednesday marks the 79th anniversary of Robinson’s historic achievement, and MLB and the Los Angeles Dodgers once again have a day full of tributes.
Per tradition, teams, players, managers and coaches will wear Robinson’s historic No. 42. Regardless of primary team colors, the No. 42 on every jersey will be in Dodger Blue, which started in 2022.
All on-field personnel will also be outfitted with royal blue “42” socks from Stance, and teams along with umpires, also will honor Jackie Robinson Day by wearing New Era Caps with a “42” side patch. In addition, recognitions will include commemorative base jewels, lineup cards and “Breaking Barriers” batting practice shirts.
MLB celebrating Jackie Robinson Day
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MLB plans to unveil a new campaign, “We Are Jackie,” across the league’s outlets, including MLB Network, MLB.com and MLB.TV; Fox, ESPN and NBC, and MLB-owned social media channels.
The spot is narrated by Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, who speaks about Robinson’s inspiring combination of courage, determination and excellence. “Jackie is not just baseball history, he is America’s history,” Sabathia says in the video.
MLB is also planning a social media interview series with Sabathia, Andruw Jones, Michael Harris II, Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke, Victor Scott II, and AUSL players Maya Brady and Jayda Coleman.
Established on the historic site of Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., the Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) is hosting a wide array of events across multiple days.
On Wednesday, it’s going to be the site of a Minor League game between the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas at Holman Stadium.
From April 17-18, MLB is holding their ninth iteration of the Trailblazer Series. The event provides girls, aged 12-14 and who play baseball, with development and educational opportunities centered around the spirit of the game’s quintessential trailblazer.
On April 18, MLB is hosting a special Jackie Robinson Day PLAY BALL event to give more than 200 kids aged 5-12 from local Indian River County an opportunity to participate in diamond sports.
The extensive and unified League-wide support has included retiring Robinson’s number throughout the Majors in 1997; dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004; and all players wearing No. 42 on the field since 2009. Ken Griffey Jr. was first to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day in 2007.
Dodgers visiting Jacke Robinson statue
Keeping with a tradition that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts began in 2021, the team is going to gather at the Jackie Robinson Statue in the center field plaza at Dodger Stadium for a reflection. They will be accompanied by the New York Mets, as the opposing team started joining the Dodgers in 2023.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick; Sonya Pankey Robinson and Ayo Robinson, granddaughters of Jackie and Rachel Robinson; Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol McKenzie-Whiteman; and LADF/Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars also will be among those on hand.
ESPN is going to exclusively broadcast the Jackie Robinson Day game between the Mets and Dodgers, with Joe Buck handling play-by-play duties for the special telecast. Buck is going to be joined in the broadcast booth by SNY’s Ron Darling and SportsNet LA’s Orel Hershiser. Buster Olney is serving as the on-field reporter.
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