I sat with a group of friends on 300 (middle) deck of Citi Field last night, as baseball held its annual celebration of the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson.
It's the one day a year that number-42 comes out of retirement. Instead of just noting the plaque honoring Jackie, all uniformed personnel don his number, a tradition that began with
Ken Griffey Junior... then spread across the game in a very unique salute.
Seeing everyone in 42, shows how Jackie's breaking the color barrier on April 15th, 1947 made baseball truly everyone's game. Players of all ethnicities and all backgrounds would be welcome. The national pastime began to belatedly begin looking like the nation.
(Above:) Jackie's 42 in orange, is displayed alongside the Mets' own Casey Stengel (37), Gil Hodges (14) and Tom Seaver (41)
And the 42 in Dodger Blue is prominently displayed in Jackie Robinson Rotunda, the grand entrance of Citi Field.
I consider this is the most significant image: the lesson of the night. Everyone is 42, everyone on both teams, playing together in game-wide salute to its most important player since Babe Ruth, someone who changed more than the game. He helped change the country.
We are all Jackie. We are his legacy, his students. His courage, his talent, his example and, yes, his sacrifice combines to make us and our game better -- to concentrate on the values that matter most.
Comments