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Big League Stew - MLB

Big League Stew

Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:58 am EDT

A better way to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day

By 'Duk

I love Jackie Robinson Day. Today marks the 61st anniversary of Mr. Robinson crossing the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers and I think it's a rare historical happening in that the magnitude of the moment rings just as loudly today. For how many other events can you say the same? Last year, I was lucky enough to be in the Reds' clubhouse when Ken Griffey Jr. saw six No. 42's in his locker. He said he got goosebumps just looking at the jerseys hanging there. Know what? I did, too.

That's why I don't want to see this new tradition of wearing Robinson's number every April 15 devolve into an annual debate of who should be donning the tribute and who shouldn't. Already Torii Hunter's remarks about the sheer number of participating players and coaches (330 in '08) have caused a mini-controversy and today shouldn't be about that. It shouldn't be about discussing why some teams have only have a handful of players participating while nine whole squads are wearing No. 42 elsewhere. 

So here are two solutions I'll present for '09 before bringing the focus back to where it should be — honoring Jackie Robinson.

1) The Dodgers should be the only team to wear No. 42 as a whole. Standing in unity loses its power when only nine of the 30 teams wear the number across the board. Allowing Branch Rickey's team the sole honor seems much more powerful than having the whole A's team wear No. 42 while playing the White Sox, who have only six men participating in the tribute.

2) Make wearing No. 42 a special honor. Every other club should reserve Robinson's number as an annual special honor for a deserving player. Since the modern day multi-cultural clubhouse can consist of a few islands of closed-off cliques (white, black, Latino), let the players vote on the teammate that best bridges that divide, no matter his color. Special consideration should be given to players who work to help remember the Negro Leagues or work to bring baseball back to the inner city.

Sure, those are two simple changes, but ones that should be made. Nothing wrong with adding a little more meaning to an already meaningful day, is there?  

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107 Comments

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  1. michaelm
    1. Posted by michaelm Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    i like it--great idea! makes it more focused.
  2. MikeD
    2. Posted by MikeD Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:18 pm EDT

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    Like the idea of each team voting. I'd do the same for the Dodgers as opposed to everyone wearing it. Something about the way JR felt about their exit from Brooklyn and how tied in he was to that team in the 50s leaves a bad taste in my mouth when the LA version gets the modern attention by default.
    Kinda like when Willie Mays is carted out every other game in San Francisco. I imagine a crew of Terrance Man-like oldies in New York who haven't left their apartment since Ike was in office.
  3. Rick
    3. Posted by Rick Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:20 pm EDT

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    Nobody should wear the number on any team. It's a stupid idea created by liberal whites who feel some type of guilt, and thus some need to repent. Everbody is always talking about having a society where color doesn't matter, but then they want to have Jackie Robinson day. Instead of letting racial wounds heal, they are always picking at the scab to show that they "care." We don't need to be reminded day after day that black people were treated poorly at one time. We know, we get it! We got it years ago! Every time I go to Kauffman stadium in Kansas City, I see the big red #42 in the outfield.
  4. Bryant
    4. Posted by Bryant Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

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    While I understand why many get upset at this prospect, I don't think that the misguided comments of an individual like Torii Hunter should prevent players from choosing whether or not they want to honor a person like Jackie Robinson once a year. Essentially, this boils down to appeasing players like Hunter instead of honoring somebody like Robinson. To me, it's choosing ego over selflessness.
    At least this article outlines a difference in opinion that is well-constructed, reasonable, and not borderline offensive.
  5. Jerel W
    5. Posted by Jerel W Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    I can't wait to hear that Torii Hunter won the right to wear the jersey for his work in advancing baseball in poor African-American neighborhoods.
  6. Andrew
    6. Posted by Andrew Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:16 pm EDT

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    In response to Rick I'd like to mention that "picking at the scab" is a good thing. If we forget about the whole thing and move on then what is there to stop something like that from happening again. And as for the article the plans are both good but not allowing players to wear a number for whatever reason sounds a lot like not allowing people to play baseball because of the color of their skin.
  7. Ben
    7. Posted by Ben Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    I say have every player wear it for one day, and then when the last of those who can still wear 42 leave the game, it will only be seen on players one day a year.
  8. Eliot
    8. Posted by Eliot Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    the brewers decided to have only one player; prince fielder, wear #42
  9. Tim Zim
    9. Posted by Tim Zim Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:10 pm EDT

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    I like it. It's just too bad that the MLB won't do anything about it. I realized this past year that I didn't like how they handled Jackie Robinson Day. But oh well, it is the MLB. The same organization that isn't going to punish players for using steroids. Bud Selig is a moron.
  10. el buen pastor
    10. Posted by el buen pastor Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    great idea.
  11. Vettel Fan
    11. Posted by Vettel Fan Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:31 pm EDT

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    in response to rick, it was ken griffey jr's idea. i didn't know he was a liberal white man that felt guilty.
  12. Shawn27
    12. Posted by Shawn27 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    Sounds like #3 is one of those people who believes that, if we just leave it alone, racism will go away. After all, with the civil rights movement everything got fixed, right?
    Please. The truth is that we've barely scratched the surface of racism. It isn't gone; it just isn't allowed to be as blatant anymore. It isn't a scab that we've refused to stop picking at as a society; it's an open wound that we've just started stitching up after hundreds of years of insistence that there wasn't a problem. Now the stitching it up hurts a little and makes us feel uncomfortable, so people either want to wallow in guilt (which IS a problem, admittedly) or pretend that a problem doesn't exist.
  13. Kas
    13. Posted by Kas Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:47 pm EDT

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    I really don't think there is a problem with the way it's being handled. If you want to wear 42 for one day regardless of your color, then wear it. If not then don't. Regardless, Robinson is part of AMERICAN HISTORY not just baseball history. It will never go away and should never go away. Every April 15th everyone and anyone should be allowed to wear 42.
  14. mike
    14. Posted by mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:51 pm EDT

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    No one should wear the number, when a team honors someone, they retire the jersey and no one wears it again. Bringing it our for a few players to wear is ridiculous. The number should be retired by every team as a tribute, not put on by a few players once a year. It makes me feel like we only support what he did one day a year, when we should be honoring him all year long.
  15. cool ass Ra
    15. Posted by cool ass Ra Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    i agree with #3, it always seems like white liberals always want to show us they are sorry for how us blacks were treated. just as every group always want to help people in africa, as if this is a way to pay back or says they are sorry. Please. Honor the man, respect the man, and never ever let anyone else wear the number again. Personally, letting someone wear the number simply dilutes the so-called RESPECT it's suppose to garner.
  16. Bob
    16. Posted by Bob Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    everyone should wear it, it's a tribute to jackie robinson, not something to draw racial lines over. torii hunter needs to shut his mouth, and all you people complaining about racism still existing are probably part of the reason for it. black people are far more racist than white people, and the only reason they want to keep "picking the scab" is so they have something to complain about. maybe 50 years ago you might have had a point, but it's over, stop looking for people to blame for your personal failures because it's no one's fault but your own. stop trying to stand on the crutch of racism and affirmattive action, there are plenty of hard working, well educated black people out there that suffer through stereotypes that a large majority of their race continue to re enforce. if you want equal treatment, you don't want racism, then stop making every single issue about race. this whole thing is about jackie robinson, a player that worked hard to get where he was in a time of racism, not a bunch of whiny "african americans" who want to make it into another racial issue to look for more handouts. you want racism to end? stop making everything about race.
  17. faceman888
    17. Posted by faceman888 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

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    You should only be able to wear 42 if you have stolen home while wearing high socks in one of the last 162 games.
  18. bearsnut19
    18. Posted by bearsnut19 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    whoever wants to honor jackie robinson should be able to. if a GM or team president wants his entire team to wear 42, let them. this should not be limited. they are honoring the first player of ethnic blood to play baseball in the majors and who cares how many people get to wear it. you arent really honoring him if you limit the number of players allowed to wear 42 on jackie robinson day. its not fair to his memory to do that.
  19. Eddie Rodriguez
    19. Posted by Eddie Rodriguez Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    I think only the Dodgers should be the only team wearing the number 42 jersey on JR day. Though Mr. Robinson did more than bring baseball together. His breaking through the color barrier, opened the door for all. No matter what your background is, or creed. It's an honorable number becuase the man who wore it, wore it with class. Yes , as for the rest of the league. The only players that should wear the number 42, are those who set great examples to the team, game, and most of all to man kind. I thank Jackie Robinson for his dignity and character, it'll never be forgotten through out baseball and sports in general. For baseball and all fans of the great American past time and fans of all sports, Happy Jackie Robinson Day.
  20. Fred O
    20. Posted by Fred O Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:03 pm EDT

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    Whoever wants to wear 42 SHOULD Wear it
    In fact... it should be UN-Retired for the other teams!
  21. WhoCares
    21. Posted by WhoCares Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:39 pm EDT

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    For one I could care less. But what I would like to know is why are we having a Jackie Robinson day every year? Why are we not having a Babe Ruth Day or a Miller Huggins Day or Ty Cobb Day or a Shoeless Joe day. Why is it we have to have a day for some black person just because of a race thing.
  22. cool ass Ra
    22. Posted by cool ass Ra Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    to respond to bob, you have never experience what is to be black. as for racism, whites are still far more racsist than blacks. we as blacks are and will be the minority. we can graduate from hampton univ, norfolk st, morehouse, grambling, etc and it still wouldn't be equivalent to a white person who graduates from a local community college. sure blacks are bitter, because we still have to try twice as hard not to be accepted or given a chance, but to be NOTICE. in many cases all we have is sports and entertainment because: 1) our talent and skills can not be denied. 2) it doesn't require education. however, we have been blessed and fortunate that some of our successful athletes and entertainers have used their skills as a vehichle to venture into other areas and made differences. but until someone actually lives the life of black man, no one should try to dimiss the fact racsism is still vibrant today a la SEN OBAMA. they continue to dig and look for dirt on this man, and through it all he continues to conduct himself as a scholar and a gentleman as well as the leading candidate fro PRESIDENT......
  23. andrew m
    23. Posted by andrew m Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:45 pm EDT

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    I thought that they were auctioning the jerseys off after the games and that the proceeds were going to Jackie Robinson's charity. Seems to me, if that is the case MORE players on each team should be wearing his number so that more people will benefit from the money raised.
  24. TRON
    24. Posted by TRON Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:52 pm EDT

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    Only black players should be allowed to wear it, if anybody is to wear it at all. One day a year to honor the sacrifices that Jack made for them. Let's not forget all of that he had to be silent while others insulted his manhood, his family, and his wife, all the while many rooted against him knowing that if he lashed out or performed poorly blacks would not be allowed in the majors for another long period of time. All the while he played brilliantly winning the first ever ROY award. If black ballplayers want to honor this fine, but seeing a white player wear it is like watching white kids throw up the black power fist. I guess people are so hung up on equality issues that we have to see Brad Penny honoring Jackie Robinson too.
    Wearing a retired player's uni does seem rediculous to me though, I say If we can honor one player for one day why not be able to honor any player for the day! The latino's can honor roberto clemente, Japs can honor Nomo, and Jews can honor Sandy Koufax....!!@#$%$!$@#%^&*(*&^%$#@!~!@#$%^&*()*&^%$#@!
  25. Duk
    25. Posted by 'Duk Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    Interesting point, Andrew M.

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Big League Stew is an MLB blog edited by Kevin Kaduk. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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