The Importance of Jackie Robinson Day
With Tayler Soveran-Welte, of Richmound, SK, being chosen to participate in the “Trailblazer Series,” (a new baseball tournament launched by the USA Baseball and Major League Baseball for girls built around Jackie Robinson Day) many have reached out asking about Jackie Robinson and the significance of Jackie Robinson day.
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Baseball’s color barrier when he made his historic MLB debut. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, it heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s.
During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player honored. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers’ 1955 World Series championship.
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.
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