Jackie Robinson Day games

Major League Baseball marked Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday, April 15, with every player, manager and coach wearing No. 42 in games across the league. (mlb.com) The date marks the 79th anniversary of Robinson’s debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, when he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Major League Baseball made April 15 an annual Jackie Robinson Day in 2004. (mlb.com) The league retired No. 42 across all clubs on April 15, 1997, and it has had all on-field personnel wear the number on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009. Robinson remains the only player with a number retired throughout Major League Baseball. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2) This year’s national showcase came at Dodger Stadium, where the New York Mets played the Los Angeles Dodgers at 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. ESPN assigned Joe Buck to call the game with Ron Darling and Orel Hershiser, with Buster Olney reporting. (espnpressroom.com) Los Angeles has long held the center of the day because Robinson debuted with the Dodgers franchise when it was still based in Brooklyn. The Dodgers scheduled their home Jackie Robinson Day game for 7:10 p.m. Pacific at Dodger Stadium. (mlb.com) Major League Baseball tied the on-field tribute to a broader set of events with the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. The league said its April 15 program also included a tribute video and original content featuring former players and current Black athletes. (mlb.com) The observance has become one of baseball’s fixed dates, but the uniform number still points back to a single game in 1947 and a single player who changed who could play in the majors. On Wednesday, every No. 42 on the field traced back to Jackie Robinson. (mlb.com)