Jackie Robinson Day is normally April 15th and MLB moved it to August 28th for 2020
Equality. All men are created equal. Actually, the quotation “all men are created equal” is part of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which Thomas Jefferson penned 244 years ago. Jackie Robinson was one of a kind when he played nearly 75 years ago, and prior, before his inclusion into the Minor Leagues. Who would think today we are still dealing with some of the same issues that maybe never left the dark corners of America. While Jackie had no equal on the field, equality was about fairness in equal treatment as a human — as a man. Then let the best man win as they say. Jackie’s legacy of breaking the color barrier was still done at a time when there was segregation and discrimination, and while baseball is more accepting now, the world still must change and be better.
Given the issues with police brutality and prejudice, we should stand with Jackie on this day for being better human beings. Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated on April 15th which was the day he made his MLB debut in 1947. Due to the COVID scheduling changes, MLB changed it to August 28th which was the day in 1945 when Dodgers president and general manager Branch Rickey informed Robinson of the organization’s monumental decision to make him the face of integration.
On this day in 1963 in Washington D.C., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his immortal “I Have a Dream” speech which changed the world. We need leaders to step up with a united voice.
Baseball will wear #42 jerseys on this day.
As Pee Wee Reese said, “Maybe tomorrow, we’ll all wear 42, so nobody could tell us apart.”
It turned out perfect for the Nationals to face a lefty pitcher tonight so manager Dave Martinez could pencil in a right-handed lineup that features black players like Howie Kendrick, Michael Taylor, and Josh Harrison. In fact, seven of the Nats nine starters (78%) in the lineup are people of color. In fact, the Nats entire bench is people of color. The Nats certainly have one of the most diverse teams, and they voted unanimously yesterday to not play due to police brutality.
On the mound for the Nats is Max Scherzer who must be the stopper as the Nats are on a 3-game skid. They face Martin Perez, a lefty, and the Nats seem to matchup better.
Washington Nationals vs. Boston Red Sox
Stadium: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
1st Pitch: 7:35 pm EDT
TV: MASN2; NESN; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app
Line-ups subject to change without notice:
4⃣2⃣#Jackie42 // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/UuA5yi7Pdl
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 28, 2020
