Jackie Robinson Day: Here's how the Dodgers are commemorating
It's 79 years to the day since Jackie Robinson donned the then-Brooklyn Dodgers' blue for the first time, becoming the first Black player in Major League Baseball.
The groundbreaking day gained new meaning 50 years later, when all of MLB retired his iconic No. 42 jersey. In 2004, April 15 was posthumously named "Jackie Robinson Day," a day when players from all 30 teams wear his number in unison.
This year, the now Los Angeles Dodgers are taking steps to ensure that the Hall of Fame second baseman is remembered all these decades later.
When Shohei Ohtani takes the mound for Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. game against the New York Mets, all fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Robinson jersey.
Before the game, players from the Dodgers and Mets will meet at the Robinson statue in the centerfield plaza for an annual reflection. According to MLB.com, they'll be joined by President of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Bob Kendrick, Jackie Robinson Foundation scholars and Robinson's granddaughters, Sonya Pankey Robinson and Ayo Robinson.
In addition to the Dodgers' festivities, UCLA baseball recently unveiled snazzy Jackie Robinson Day-themed uniforms to be worn on Wednesday.