Baseball, Commentary, Men's Sports, Sports, Uncategorized

CAMPOS: 67 years later, Jackie Robinson’s impact is still legendary

Watching a Major League Baseball game on April 15 can be extremely confusing to the casual fan.

I was watching a game last April 15 with a friend, who was really confused as to why everyone was wearing a number 42 jersey.
If you have basic knowledge of baseball, civil rights, or recent Harrison Ford movies, you probably know that the number 42 was worn by former Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in the major leagues.

Robinson, who grew up in Pasadena, made his major league debut on April 15, 1947. Sixty-seven years ago, Robinson took the field at first base at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. According to Sports Illustrated, he had a few teammates that drew up a petition saying that they preferred to be traded than to play with a black teammate.

Despite the racist times and animosity that Robinson faced, he arguably became the face of the MLB. When he played, fans came out to the ballpark as every other baseball team drew their highest crowds when Robinson and the Dodgers came to town. Maybe it was to throw stuff and yell at him, or maybe it was because deep down, people knew they had a chance to witness history in the making.

Robinson retired in 1956, two years before the Dodgers came out west. He threw the honorary first pitch at the 1972 World Series, but died nine days later at the age of 53. To this day, Major League Baseball honors him on April 15. His number 42 is retired by every team, with former Yankee closer Mariano Rivera being the last major leaguer to wear it every day.

Despite Robinson’s impact, the number of black players in baseball is falling. In 1981, almost 19 percent of players on opening day rosters were black. In the 2014 season, less than 8 percent of players on opening day rosters were black, according to USA Today. There are 67 black players in the major leagues, but three teams do not have one — the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals. The Long Beach State Dirtbags also do not have a 100 percent black player on their roster.

Despite the low number of black players in the major leagues, their impact is still visible to this day. Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is one of the best players in baseball when healthy and Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick has been one of the most consistent Angels players over the past few years.

The most recent U.S. census information states that 13.1 percent of the U.S. population is black. At below 8 percent, MLB is still a little behind when it comes to attracting black athletes.

Regardless of the demographics in the league, April 15 is the day to remember and honor Jackie Robinson, a true pioneer of civil rights and a dynamic athlete. So when you see a mass of people wearing the number 42 on one specific day, you’ll understand why.

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