April 15th, 2017 marks the 70th year in which Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, becoming the first African-American player in the game.

In 1997, the MLB officially retired number forty-two. Since 2009, Major League Baseball has praised Jackie for his efforts, declaring April 15th Jackie Robinson Day, in which all players will wear the number forty-two in his honor.

Why is he

so important in the baseball culture? Well, aside from his talents to become the first African-American player in the MLB, he also resembled a person with great character as well as an ambassador to society. In that time period, people of color were second-class citizens at best. If a particular player were to break the color barrier, the guidelines would not be based solely upon talent. A man would have to show excellent character on and off the field, because this particular person is representing the entire African-American baseball player population. A slip-up would potentially cause a bias towards African-Americans, one that already lacked positivity. Jackie was the perfect fit to represent the Negro Leagues and African-Americans everywhere. For two years. He served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army during WWII.

 He thrived in four sports while at UCLA. He succeeded in the classroom. Lastly, he was a person who was not afraid to voice his opinion in a professional manner.

After his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization in 1946, Robinson received scrutiny and awful racial slurs throughout his 11-year playing career in baseball. Fans, opposing teams, and even teammates were booing Robinson, calling him names, and even throwing objects towards him. Few can only imagine what he went through, especially with the experience in Philadelphia with Phillies’ manager Ben Chapman(highly recommend watching the movie, “42” to hear exactly what Chapman said) on a daily basis.  No person deserves that kind of harsh treatment. It takes a lot of will, courage, and determination to do what he did. That alone shows how much character Jackie Robinson possesses and it shows exactly why he is celebrated in the baseball world every year.

After his playing days, he continued to advocate for equal rights,

continued to promote African-American ballplayers, and continued to carry himself with an upstanding demeanor. We as baseball fans should feel honored every April 15th. People within Major League Baseball cannot express enough gratitude, and nor can I, because Jackie deserves that honor.

The color barrier was broken in the MLB in 1947. One day, I hope to see another barrier broken, the gender barrier.

The post The Continued Importance of Jackie Robinson Day and His Legacy appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As the old saying goes, there are two certainties on this Earth:

Death and taxes.

Today is April 15th, and that means your individual tax forms are due today. The Internal Revenue Service this year, however, is giving you until April 18th to file your taxes. This is due to the fact that Emancipation Day is being celebrated in our nation’s capitol. If you are one of the lucky ones from either Massachusetts or Maine, you get until April 19th.

Despite the second and third weeks of April being everyone’s kryptonite, the world of sports had events that helped alleviate the pain.

In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games came to a close in Athens, Greece. 60,000 spectators attended the opening ceremonies. 16 nations participated in the games.

In 1911, Washington Senators’ starter Walter Johnson struck out four batters in the fifth inning of their game. The only way that oddity can happen is when there is a drop third strike and the runner advances to first on the passed ball or wild pitch. The strikeout is recorded in favor of the pitcher but since the runner advanced to first base, the out is not recorded. 76 pitchers that have achieved this feat in baseball history.

Fast forward 16 years to 1927. On April 15 of that year, Babe Ruth hit his first homerun of the season. The Sultan of Swat hit a career-high 60 homeruns come season’s end.

Perhaps the most iconic moment in American sport history happened on this day in 1947. Jackie Robinson made his debut on the diamond for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.

Robinson went on to win the Rookie of the Year that season. Robinson hit a solid .311 average throughout his ten-year career. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his number. Today, all players and coaches in Major League Baseball will wear his number 42 in his honor.

Monday, April 15, 2013 was Patriots’ Day in Boston, and the running of the 117th Boston Marathon. Instead of fondly remembering the holiday, instead people remember the selfish acts of two men. Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev placed two pressure-cooker bombs near the race’s finish line. Three spectators died and over 260 were injured in the bombings that shook Boston to its core.

Events, specifically the ones that unfolded in Boston in 2013, are always in the back of our minds. You knew where exactly where you were when you heard the news.

So, when you see your spouse, child, or other immediate family, give them a hug and tell them how much you love them. For some, the second they walk out of the door they may not walk back in the door. Keep that in mind as you sit at the dinner table tonight.

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