62 Years Going, And Still Not Forgotten

This week in Major League Baseball was a special one. Not only because it is the second week of the regular season, or because the New York Mets and the New York Yankees played their first home games in their brand new stadiums (they both lost their games by the way). But what I have most come to enjoy most this week was Wednesday, April 15, 2009, which has been deemed in the MLB "Jackie Robinson Day." In celebration of the occasion, every team wears number 42 on their jerseys (Jackie's number) for the games on that day. 62 years ago on April 15, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the color barrier and became the first black person to play in Major League Baseball. His appearance in the majors had a profound impact not only on the game, but in society as well. In a time when blacks were not allowed to play in the majors and instead played in leagues they formed for themselves (Negro Leagues), Jackie got an opportunity to play and show the world who he was and what he can bring to the game. This opened up the doors for many other black athletes to play in the majors on down the road. It is amazing that we are still celebrating and remembering every season Jackie Robinson and his contributions to the game of baseball and to society. To Jackie, he was probably just wanted to play baseball and may not have thought alot about his racial impact, but to others, it was a sign of hope. I enjoy the game of baseball and am proud to understand and give credit to not only Jackie but also to his wife, Rachel, and to all the others who helped him along the way. Thank you Jackie, for being you and for showing others that we can all make a difference.

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