Monday wasn’t just another day of baseball, it was an official celebration of one of the game’s most important players.
Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers 77 years ago and ignited not only a movement within baseball but one that would soon help change America forever. It could be argued that the Civil Rights movement started on April 15, 1947 when Robinson became the first Black baseball player in Major League history, a watershed moment that continues to rippled even to this day.
Each year on April 15th, MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day and players around the league honor his legacy in their own special way. The No. 42 has been retired since 1997 but some players do more than just wear this number on their back each year to pay tribute to what Robinson meant.
This year one of the players who went above and beyond to pay tribute in his own way was Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton.
Byron Buxton rocked custom Jackie Robinson cleats vs. Orioles
Ahead of Monday’s game in Baltimore, Buxton showed off some custom cleats he wore to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day.
Byron Buxton will be wearing custom spikes in honor of Jackie Robinson tonight #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/BtNzAZdbwm
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2024
While the No. 42 has been retired for over two decades, it gets dusted off every April 15th for players to wear on their backs as a way of saluting Robinson for all that he did for the game. His breaking of the color barrier was bigger than baseball, as it helped springboard the Civil Rights movement that a few decades later would change the entire country.
Buxton wasn’t alone in honoring Robinson in his own special way.
Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, helped celebrate her husband’s legacy as well. At 101 years old, Rachel attended a special pregame ceremony at Citi Field.
Rachel Robinson was on hand for the #Jackie42 pregame celebration at Citi Field. pic.twitter.com/NS8d8xGBEF
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2024
Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. wore custom Jordan 4 cleats, while Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts showed up at the ballpark with a custom Jackie Robinson uniform. Score of other ball players paid tribute as well, but no matter how grand or subtle the gesture it’s clear that Robinson’s impact on the game — and the world — is still being felt almost eight decades after he first left his mark.