MLB & the Reds honor Jackie Robinson Day
Along with the entirety of Major League Baseball, the Cincinnati Reds are commemorating the day, April 15, 1947, 77 years ago, when Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier.
On April 15, the Reds take on the Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, the game will start at a special time of 6:42 p.m. PDT/9:42 p.m. EDT.
To commemorate Robinson’s historic debut, all players, managers, and coaches will don Nike ’42’ jerseys. Nike Breaking Barriers batting practice tees, New Era caps with a “42” side patch, and Stance socks with a commemorative “42” emblem are other components of the uniform.
Reds Honoring Jackie Robinson With Activations
High school softball and baseball teams at the Reds Youth Academy on April 13 and 14, sporting “42” uniforms,
Jackie Robinson Day was observed on April 13 and 14, when Cincinnati Public Schools baseball and softball teams were invited to participate in the Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase, which is sponsored by Cincinnati Children’s Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics. All baseball and softball players wore “42” jerseys given by Nike as a tribute to Robinson.
April 17: Reds Youth Academy HBCU Baseball Game
The annual Joe Morgan Classic will take place at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in Roselawn on Wednesday, April 17 at 1 p.m. HBCU schools Wilberforce University and Kentucky State University are scheduled to play. Players from both teams will receive personalized baseball cleats from Nike and authentic replica Negro Leagues jerseys.
April 19: Woodward High School’s Reds players
On Friday, April 19, Cincinnati Public Schools’ Woodward High School will host a visit by Reds pitcher Hunter Greene and outfielders Will Benson and Bubba Thompson, who will talk to the baseball and softball teams about their path to the major leagues.
Jackie Robinson Day is April 19 at Great American Ball Park.
On Friday, April 19 at Great American Ball Park (versus. Los Angeles Angels, 6:40 p.m.), the Reds will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day with pregame rituals and a fan gift.
• One of the two Black head coaches in the ECHL, Jason Payne of the Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team, will toss out the ceremonial first pitch. When Black players Landon Cato, Elijah Gonsalves, Jalen Smereck, Kyle Bollers, and Josh Burnside on the ice as the starting lineup on March 30, the Cyclones created history.
• During pregame festivities, members of the AACE LLC ownership group—Reds shareholders since 2005—will be honored. One of the earliest Black ownership organizations in the history of American athletics was the AACE group.
• LifeCenter will give each fan in attendance a Jackie Robinson baseball card.
The Reds Country Cares effort for April, which coincides with Jackie Robinson Day, centers around the theme of “Reds Baseball Welcomes All,” emphasizing the team’s dedication to diversity, inclusivity, and disability awareness. Visit www.reds.com/Unity for more details on Jackie Robinson Day events as well as how the Reds encourage inclusivity and good change through Reds Country Cares and other programs.
Background of Jackie Robinson Day
On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his Major League debut at Ebbets Field as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout the years, Major League Baseball has honored Jackie Robinson’s legacy with a broad and cohesive League-wide display of support. Some of these efforts include the Majors retiring Robinson’s number in 1997, the designation of April 15th as Jackie Robinson Day every year since 2004, and the requirement that all players and on-field staff wear his number 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009. At all levels of our sport, Major League Baseball seeks to actively address diversity and inclusion while leading community support efforts and educating all fans about Jackie Robinson’s life, accomplishments, and legacy. For additional details, kindly visit www.MLBTogether.com.
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