Mariners to wear No. 42 for Jackie Robinson Day at T-Mobile Park

SEATTLE - Monday is Jackie Robinson Day at T-Mobile Park as the Seattle Mariners host the Cincinnati Reds in the first of a three-game home series.

All MLB players and other on-field personnel will wear Robinson's No. 42, as they have done on every Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.

The Mariners are also commemorating Robinson by starting the game at 6:42 p.m.

jackie robinson day seattle mariners wear number 42 on all their jerseys

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 15: Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners greets teammates before the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 15, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jacki

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Why is April 15 Jackie Robinson Day?

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier when he became the first Black man to take the field.

Robinson played his entire major league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was elected into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1962, and passed away on Oct. 24, 1972.

He started playing professional baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues after being discharged from the military for refusing to sit at the back of a segregated Army bus. He soon caught the eye of Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who brought him into the MLB to break the color line.

Robinson's accolades include winning Rookie of the Year (1947), six consecutive All-Star selections (1949-1954), Most Valuable Player (1949), and contributing to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship.

Why is number 42 retired in baseball?

Not only did Jackie Robinson's major league debut bring an end to 60 years of segregation in baseball, he also created a big shift in the civil-rights revolution in America.

After his retirement, Robinson became the first Black person to serve as vice president of a major American corporation, chaired the NAACP's Freedom Fund Drive in 1957, and protested against the major leagues' lack of minority managers and office personnel.

The Dodgers retired his jersey number, 42, on June 4, 1972. On April 15, 1997, Robinson's jersey number, 42, was retired throughout Major League Baseball, the first time any athlete had their number retired throughout an entire major American sports league.

In 2007, on the 60th anniversary of Robinson's major league debut, the MLB invited players to wear the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day. Ken Griffey Jr. originally sparked the idea after asking Robinson's wife, Rachel, for permission to wear the number. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig then extended an invitation to all major league teams to do the same.

That day, over 200 players wore the number 42, including the entire rosters for the LA Dodgers, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

What were Jackie Robinson's top quotes?

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

What is a fun fact about Jackie Robinson?

Jackie Robinson's middle name was Roosevelt, a nod to President Theodore Roosevelt.

Robinson was actually a five-sport athlete, as he also excelled in track, basketball, tennis, and especially football, as he was a star college player for the UCLA Bruins football team.