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Why is everyone wearing 42 in baseball? Explaining MLB's Jackie Robinson Day and its history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
JUMP TO:
- Why is everyone wearing 42 in baseball?
- Why is Jackie Robinson Day always on April 15?
- When was the first Jackie Robinson Day?
- Is No. 42 retired for every MLB team?
- How did Jackie Robinson die?
- Jackie Robinson stats
Throughout the MLB season, there are some annual events that are always held around the same time. The All-Star Break is in mid-July, followed by the trade deadline at the end of the month, while newer events like the Field of Dreams Game and Little League Classic have also become once-a-year matchups.
One of the most historic days on MLB's annual calendar, however, is Jackie Robinson Day. Every April, all players and coaches can be seen sporting the number 42 on their jerseys.
For over two decades, Jackie Robinson Day has been a celebration of the life and career of Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier.
Here's everything to know about MLB's Jackie Robinson Day.
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Why is everyone wearing 42 in baseball?
For one day in April every season, all MLB players, coaches, managers and umpires wear No. 42 on their jerseys for Jackie Robinson Day.
The annual festivity is in honor of Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, who is known for becoming the first Black player in MLB in 1947.
HILLE:Remembering the eternal impact of No. 42
When is Jackie Robinson Day?
Jackie Robinson Day is always held on April 15, around two weeks after MLB's regular season begins.
The date carries significance in both Robinson's life and league history, and the event has only been held on a different day when outside circumstances — including weather postponements and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic — result in games not being played on April 15. In 2020, Jackie Robinson Day was instead held on Aug. 29, once the shortened regular season was underway, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the date Robinson met with Branch Rickey to discuss joining the Dodgers.
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Why is Jackie Robinson Day always on April 15?
On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his MLB debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first-ever Black player to appear in the league. Then 28 years old, Robinson had previous baseball experience at Pasadena Junior College, UCLA and the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues, plus service time in the military.
He initially met with Dodgers president and GM Branch Rickey in August 1945 about potentially being added to the team's International League farm club, the Montreal Royals, and Robinson agreed a few months later. He played the full 1946 season for the Royals, leading the league in batting average at .349 while winning MVP.
Robinson was called up to Brooklyn around a week before the start of the 1947 season, and after making a preseason exhibition game debut on April 11, 1947, he became the Dodgers' first baseman. Robinson's MLB debut came at Ebbets Field with a crowd of 26,623, and he scored the winning run in a win. Officially, Robinson became the first player since 1884 to openly break the MLB color line.
In the 1947 season, Robinson was named the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year award winner, hitting .297 with 12 home runs for a Dodgers team that reached the World Series.
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When was the first Jackie Robinson Day?
The first Jackie Robinson Day was held in 2004. In March 2004, MLB commissioner Bud Selig announced that the league would be holding a celebration of Robinson on April 15, making that announcement with Jackie's daughter, Sharon Robinson.
Exactly 57 years following Robinson's debut for the Dodgers, the first Jackie Robinson Day was held on April 15, 2004. Thirteen ballparks held various types of festivities for the first official league-wide event celebrating Robinson — at the New York Stock Exchange, that morning, Sharon Robinson, MLB officials, officials from the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Jackie's wife, Rachel Robinson, held a ceremony with a ringing of the Opening Bell.
All of the baseballs for that day's games had a "42" on them, and Jackie Robinson Foundation scholars threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to each of the 13 games.
"I have often stated that baseball's proudest moment and its most powerful social statement came on April 15, 1947 when Jackie Robinson first set foot on a Major League Baseball field," Selig said in the original press release for the event. "On that day, Jackie brought down the color barrier and ushered in the era in which baseball became the true national pastime. Fifty years after that historic event, in April 1997, I was proud to join Rachel Robinson and President Bill Clinton at Shea Stadium to honor Jackie by retiring his uniform number 42 in perpetuity. By establishing April 15 as 'Jackie Robinson Day' throughout Major League Baseball, we are further ensuring that the incredible contributions and sacrifices he made -- for baseball and society -- will not be forgotten."
The following year, Selig made things official, declaring that every April 15 would be Jackie Robinson Day. Unlike the 2004 celebrations, all MLB teams were able to celebrate the occasion in 2005.
However, all MLB players did not always wear No. 42 for Jackie Robinson Day. That didn't happen for the first time until 2009. The number had been retired for all MLB teams since 1997, but in 2007, Ken Griffey Jr. received special permission from Rachel Robinson to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day that season. From there, the popularity increased — Selig encouraged players to follow Griffey's lead, and over 200 other players wore No. 42 in the 2007 event, including some full teams.
In 2008, over 300 coaches, players and more wore No. 42, but in 2009, all uniformed personnel wore No. 42 for the day. Since then, it's been a tradition for everybody to wear the number; in 2022.
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Is No. 42 retired for every MLB team?
Yes, No. 42 is retired across Major League Baseball. In 1997, the league officially retired the number for all teams, the first uniform number to be retired across the sport.
Players at the time were able to continue wearing No. 42 if they already were, which led to players like Mariano Rivera continuing to wear it throughout their careers. However, Rivera was the last player to wear No. 42 in a full-time fashion, retiring in 2013.
Is No. 42 retired in other sports?
MLB has retired No. 42, while all UCLA athletics have also retired the number, doing so in 2014.
No other professional sports leagues have retired the No. 42.
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How did Jackie Robinson die?
On Oct. 24, 1972, Robinson died of a heart attack at his home in Connecticut. He was 53 years old.
A funeral was held with over 2,500 people on Oct. 27, 1972. Following his death, Robinson's wife, Rachel, founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Robinson had three children: Sharon Robinson, David Robinson and Jackie Robinson Jr.
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What team did Jackie Robinson play for?
Robinson only played for one MLB team: the Brooklyn Dodgers. He made his debut for the squad in 1947, and remained an infielder for the team through the 1956 season, after which he retired.
Robinson's last at-bat was a strikeout in Game 7 of the 1956 World Series. At 37, he was set to be traded to the New York Giants after the season, but he had already agreed to step away from baseball and become an executive with the coffee brand Chock full o'Nuts. At the time, Robinson was also dealing with declined health due to diabetes.
Robinson's full 10-year MLB career came in Brooklyn.
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Jackie Robinson stats
Here's a look at Robinson's year-by-year and career numbers:
| Season | Games | Hits | Runs | Doubles | Triples | HRs | RBIs | SB | BB | Ks | Average | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 1947 | 151 | 175 | 125 | 31 | 5 | 12 | 48 | 29 | 74 | 36 | .297 | .383 | .427 | .810 |
| 1948 | 147 | 170 | 108 | 38 | 8 | 12 | 85 | 22 | 57 | 37 | .296 | .367 | .453 | .820 |
| 1949 | 156 | 203 | 122 | 38 | 12 | 16 | 124 | 37 | 86 | 27 | .342 | .432 | .528 | .960 |
| 1950 | 144 | 170 | 99 | 39 | 4 | 14 | 81 | 12 | 80 | 24 | .328 | .423 | .500 | .923 |
| 1951 | 153 | 185 | 106 | 33 | 7 | 19 | 88 | 25 | 79 | 27 | .338 | .429 | 527 | .957 |
| 1952 | 149 | 157 | 104 | 17 | 3 | 19 | 75 | 24 | 106 | 40 | .308 | .440 | .465 | .904 |
| 1953 | 136 | 159 | 109 | 34 | 7 | 12 | 95 | 17 | 74 | 30 | .329 | .425 | .502 | .927 |
| 1954 | 124 | 120 | 62 | 22 | 4 | 15 | 59 | 7 | 63 | 20 | .311 | .413 | .505 | .918 |
| 1955 | 105 | 81 | 51 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 61 | 18 | .256 | .378 | .363 | .740 |
| 1956 | 117 | 98 | 61 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 43 | 12 | 60 | 31 | .275 | .382 | .412 | .793 |
| Career: | 1,416 | 1,563 | 972 | 286 | 55 | 141 | 761 | 200 | 756 | 291 | .313 | .410 | .477 | .887 |
Jackie Robinson awards and milestones
Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. Among his other accomplishments were becoming the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year award winner, becoming the first Black player to win MVP in 1949 and appearing in six World Series with one title.
Off the field, Robinson was also the first Black television analyst in MLB and the first Black vice president of a major American corporation at Chock full o'Nuts. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom, and had his number retired across MLB in 1997 after it was originally retired by the Dodgers in 1972.
Here's a full list of awards, milestones and more Robinson accomplished:
- First Black MLB player (1947)
- Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1962)
- 1x Negro League All-Star (1946)
- 6x MLB All-Star (1949-54)
- 1x World Series champion (1955)
- 1x NL MVP (1949)
- 1947 MLB Rookie of the Year
- 1x batting champion (1949)
- 2x stolen base leader (1947, 1949)
- No. 42 retired by Dodgers in 1972
- No. 42 retired across MLB in 1997
- No. 42 retired across UCLA athletics in 2014
- Congressional Gold Medal (2005)
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1984)
- UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (inducted in 1984)
- National High School Hall of Fame (inducted in 1993)
- California Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)
- MLB Rookie of the Year awards named "Jackie Robinson Award" in 1987
- Spingarn Award from NCAAP (1956)
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