The Date was April 15,1947; on that day Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In honor of Robinson, Major league baseaball retired his jersey in 1997 and in 2007 declared the 15th of April Jackie Robinson Day.
In 2009 every big league player and all on field personnel started wearing Robinson’s retired number 42 on this day to commemorate his legacy.
“To me there’s no doubt that integrating baseball in 1947 was the first step to a lot of racial progress in this country.” @TonyDungy discusses Jackie Robinson’s cultural impact leading up to Jackie Robinson Day. #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/3ntecvfwn9
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 14, 2018
Today every player in the Major Leagues will wear number 42, which was Robinson’s number. But on that day in 1947 , the 28 year old rookie wearing that number may have felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as he went 0 for 4 at the plate with 3 RBIs (Runs Batted In) helpingthe Dodgers beat the Boston Braves 5-3. Robinson’s appearances at the plate were not as significant as the fact that he was even in the game as a black man integrating the big leagues.
Jackie Robinson played his first major league game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. The Dodgers opponent on that day was the Boston Braves. Brooklyn won the game 5-3. Robinson went 0 for 4 in his first game. pic.twitter.com/9s4Duk6iKf
— Keep On Playing (@ikeeponplaying) April 3, 2018
Robinson who started his professional baseball career in 1944 playing in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs. Signed with the Montreal Royals ( Brooklyn Dodgers farm team) in 1945 and he crossed the color line in the Major leagues in 1947, Jackie played 10 years with Brooklyn before he retired at the age of 37 in 1957. Jackie Roosevlet Robinson was inducteed into the MLB Hall of Fame on January 23,1962.
