Major League Baseball marked Jackie Robinson Day on Wednesday, with every player, coach and umpire wearing No. 42 to honour the 79th anniversary of his historic debut.
According to the Associated Press, Robinson broke baseball’s colour barrier when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
He went on to win Rookie of the Year, become a six-time All-Star and earn the National League MVP award in 1949.
“Every player of color who now enjoys our great sport, they owe it to this man,” said Bob Kendrick, according to AP.
Tributes took place across stadiums, including a ceremony at Dodger Stadium where players from the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets gathered around Robinson’s statue.
“What he did was incredibly difficult under some of the most harsh circumstances you could ever imagine,” Kendrick said.
“He had to go out there and deal not only with the racial hatred but he was carrying 21 million Black folks on his back when he walked across those lines. Had he failed, an entire race of people would have failed. That’s an enormous amount of pressure. How he did it with such grace, class and dignity is absolutely incredible. And no, we should never forget Jackie Robinson,” he addded.
