CHICAGO – For Major League Baseball, April 15 will always be a day of celebration, especially in 2022.
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the league color barrier when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves at Ibbits Field. This moment is celebrated every season, including the 75th anniversary of MLB’s groundbreaking moment on Friday.
Across the league, players will wear Robinson’s number 42 during games on Friday, including the White Sox’s contest with the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field and the Cubs’ game against the Rockies in Denver.
Individual players also have their own discretion, Including Cubs player Jason Hayward, who will join others in The Players Alliance in donating Friday’s salary to charity.
Tim Anderson will proudly wear number 42 for the White Sox, having shared a number of Robinson honors over the years with the franchise. The 2021 All-Stars also made a name for themselves in the Chicago community by carrying on Robinson’s legacy as he developed the game in inner-city neighborhoods.
The importance of doing so in honor of the Hall of Famer and teaching what he did 75 years ago to a new generation is not lost on him as he takes over the field tonight.
“I think the more they knew about him, the more they learned and understood what kind of person he was, what he meant to people, what he meant to the game, to everyone actually,” Anderson said. Friday. “So I think the faster you learn, the better chance you have of understanding that.”
The White Sox will honor several people before their game against the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night. Illinois Army National Guard Assistant Brigadier General Rodney C. Boyd, the first black officer to hold the position, will throw out the first pitch with Chicago historian Sherman Della Thomas.
Boyd will also be honored with the title of “Champion of the Game.”
Patrick Nwankpa, research fellow for the Chicago White Sox Charitable Foundation, will be honored along with winners of the 2022 Jackie Robinson Diversified Business Partner Program, Complex Network Solutions and Lightitech Awards.
The Cubs will have their celebrations on Monday when they return to Wrigley Field when they host Tampa Bay.
A list of these can be seen above.
