The grass and ivy decorated along the outfield wall at Wrigley Field was as green as ever on this sunny afternoon.
The crowd in the Budweiser Bleachers anxiously waited for the players to hit the field, as it was a picture perfect day for a ball game. There could not have been a better way to pay tribute to one of the MLB’s most historically dominating players than at this game.
On April 15, the entire team of the Chicago Cubs wore number 42 on their jerseys to honor
the late Jackie Robinson while playing the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field.
For those who need a bit of a brush up on their history of the MLB Hall of Famer, Jackie Robinson is the first
African American to play in the modern era’s major leagues. Robinson started a new wave in
pro baseball when he broke the color barrier, playing his first professional game as a Brooklyn
Dodger (now known as the Los Angeles Dodgers) on April 15, 1947.
April 15 marks a symbolic event in Major League Baseball history that is still being respected today, as the Cubs did at their home game.
“I love the fact that they’re all wearing number 42,” said Arsal Shareef, a 23-year-old from Glen Ellyn, Illinois and avid Cubs fan.
April 15 is not marked as a national holiday for Jackie Robinson, but his historic recognition is acknowledged.
“I honestly did not even know that today is a tribute to Jackie Robinson, but regardless is so cool for them to
show respect for such a great player,” Shareef said.
Fellow Cubs fan Cristina Bellizzi, 19, who attends DePaul University in Chicago, added: “I know who Jackie Robinson is, but I didn’t know that the players would still actually do something like wearing his number to honor him.”
The Cubbies put forth appreciation towards Robinson while Cubs fans showed respect for them
in return despite their 6-1 loss against the Rockies.
“It’s alright that they lost,” said Cubs fan Krista Rizzo, who ironically shares a last name with Cubs’
first baseman Anthony Rizzo. “They’ve got to shake it off. They’ll come back.”
Excerpt from Ken Burns’ “Jackie Robinson” documentary.