As has been the tradition every season since 2004, MLB and Clubs will commemorate Jackie Robinson’s Day at stadiums across the league on Thursday, April 15 – the anniversary of Robinson’s historic MLB debut when he broke the baseball color barrier – or Friday, April 16. The extra day allows teams that don’t play on a traditional “day off” of the regular season to properly commemorate Jackie Robinson’s Day.
Robinson will continue to be remembered for his inspired and historic career, his courage and strength in the face of the challenges he faced as he overcame the color barrier of baseball, his actions as a social advocate and icon for civil rights, and his continued impact on sport and our society. In the visual and engaging ways of the fans, Jackie Robinson Day will be commemorated in the following ways:
NUMBER ’42’ AND VIEWS IN THE FIELD
?? NUMBER ’42’ – Players, managers, coaches, referees and all field staff will once again wear Robinson’s iconic number (at least once) to the April 15 and April 16 games.
?? PLAYERS ‘PRACTICE JOURNEY OF THE PLAYERS’ ALLIANCE – Special practice T-shirts, which were designed by The Players Alliance and provided by Nike, will be worn by players before games. These shirts will not be sold at retail.
?? LOGO “42” – It will appear on uniform sleeves, while the uniform font and colors specific to the team will be presented as a patch on the New Era covers. MLB will donate all licensed royalties from cap sales to the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
?? “THANK YOU, JACKIE” – The MLB network has produced a special video – titled “Thank You, Jackie” – that will be played in all Jackie Robinson’s Day stadiums (both April 15 and 16), showing brief leaks of the impact it had on both iconic athlete, as well as a champion of social and racial equality. The video is told by the former All-Star player and president of The Players Alliance Curtis Granderson.
?? JACKIE ROBINSON EVERFI CHALLENGE – As part of the MLB Summer Slugger program, clubs can customize a “Jackie Robinson Challenge” that students can complete as a supplement to the 72-game course. We also challenge our younger students to visit MLB.com/42 and become more familiar with Jackie’s life and legacy through printed educational activities.
?? TRAILBLAZER SERIES – MLB and US Baseball will host virtual presentations for young women, at least 13 years old, from across the country who would normally attend the annual Trailblazer series, a three-day tournament that serves both as an instruction and as a development. The 2021 effort will be designed to inform and inspire young women who prefer to play baseball and provide them with the tools and information for that quest.
?? OLYMPIANS AT THE JACKIE ROBINSON TRAINING COMPLEX – April 12-22, including Jackie Robinson Day, the No. 1 women’s national team in the United States will continue preparations for the Tokyo Olympics at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, which is the official training unit of the US national team program. of softball. Exhibition games as well as a public practice session will be among the activities.
?? PLAY BALL DRIVE-THRU EVENT IN LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – Olympic Softball and Softball Ambassador for Youth Jennie Finch hosts a special PLAY BALL drive-thru event at the Baptist Christian Church in his hometown, Lake Charles, Louisiana. This effort is part of a larger MLB campaign to link connections with the Black Community through events at US Black Churches.
?? SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS – MLB Social Media platforms will demonstrate the many ways Jackie has inspired baseball and society – not just as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, but also who he was and what he represented before and after his Major League career. Attractions include a special video highlighting Jackie’s main ambition, the characteristics of the players who write “Letters To Jackie” and videos from the baseball and softball community for young people talking about the impact of Jackie on their lives and their love of sports.
?? MLB NETWORK – MLB Network will debut a film in its studio programming of the late award-winning actor Chadwick Boseman discussing the joy and responsibility he felt in portraying Robinson in the film 42. The images come from an MLB Network interview with Boseman just before the film’s release in 2013. Boseman passed away last year on August 28, the same time Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson’s Day in 2020. A video clip can be viewed Here. As part of the MLB Network’s Robinson commemoration, MLB Network will also air Los Angeles dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies tomorrow, April 15 at 22:00 ET.
?? MLB.com – MLB.com and all 30 club sites will have extensive editorial content and coverage that highlights each team’s special connection to Jackie, as well as special features that explore his impact as a baseball pioneer and his influence on players. today.
?? JRF SCHOLARSHIP – MLB and the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) have continued their long-term partnership, primarily to provide scholarships to students in underrepresented communities. Many of these JRF scholars and graduates will be recognized by clubs in a certain capacity.
In 2020, MLB expanded its philanthropic partnership with the Jackie Robinson Foundation to include greater investment in the JRF scholarship program and greater MLB / Club internship coordination, full-time employment opportunities, and exposure to MLB careers. MLB has also booked more summer internship slots in 2021 specifically for JRF Scholars. The $ 3.5 million commitment to JRF also includes support for the Jackie Robinson Museum. Historically, MLB and its clubs have contributed approximately $ 20 million to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, including scholarship support for more than 150 JRF researchers.
?? The most valuable business partners – MLB and its clubs will recognize and recognize various companies as recipients of the Award for the most valuable diverse business partner Jackie Robinson in 2021, “MVDBP”. The award recognizes various sports business partners (companies owned in various fields) who have been nominated and awarded based on their performance that has exceeded the norm and proved quality, class and professionalism in all aspects of their business. A total of 16 prizes will be awarded by 12 clubs and the Commissioner’s Office. The list of these recipients will be highlighted at MLB.com/diversity-and-inclusion.