“On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Baseball’s color barrier when he made his historic MLB debut. Every year on April 15, Baseball honors Jackie’s legacy by celebrating his life, values and accomplishments. The extensive and unified League-wide show of support has included retiring Jackie’s number throughout the Majors in 1997; dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004; and requesting that every player and all on-field personnel wear his No. 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.” – MLB.com
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Here is Major League Baseball’s Complete Guide to Jackie Robinson Day 2020.
A few of our remembrances and celebrations of Jackie Robinson from The Good Men Project:
- Special Edition On Greatness: Jackie Robinson Day: On this Jackie Robinson Day, we share some of his most inspiring words; on baseball, on civil rights and on breaking the color barrier . . .
- Jackie Robinson A baseball legend: A racially charged history. A powerful spoken word duo.
- Jackie Robinson’s Letters to the White House: The living embodiment of integration didn’t stop pushing for civil rights when his time on the baseball field ended.
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“Life is not a spectator sport. … If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”
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Jackie was, and always will be, larger than life. #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/ExOl4x5X1c
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2020
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Photo Credit: AP/File/John Rooney