April 15, is the day we celebrate “Jackie Robinson Day,” for breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson took to the field as the first-baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. This was the first time any person of color has played in Major League Baseball (MLB). This day is to commemorate his life, values, and accomplishments. In 2004, the MLB made Jackie Robinson Day official. On this day, every MLB player, coach, and fans wear the number 42.
Robinson’s career was fantastic during the nine years he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His career statistics were a .311 batting average, 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in, 197 stolen bases, and a rookie of the year award. In 1949 he got Most Valuable Player (MVP) that’s very impressive. 1955, Robinson led his team to a world series title against the New York Yankees. To continue breaking records, he was the first African American baseball played to be inducted into the Hall of Fame (HOF). Since then, 24 other African Americans have been inducted into the (HOF).