Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

On April 15, 1947, the Boston Braves were playing the Dodgers in Brooklyn. In the bottom of the first, Jackie Robinson stepped to the plate against the Braves' Johnny Sain. Robinson grounded out to third base, and the rest is history. He was the first African American to ever play Major League Baseball. As for the rest of the game, Robinson went 0-for-3 with a run scored. 

Every April 15 since 2004, Major League Baseball celebrates "Jackie Robinson Day," which is a day completely dedicated to Robinson and his achievements. Every player will wear number 42 (Jackie's number), and for the first time ever, there are no active players wearing 42 on a regular basis. That stopped with the retirement of Mariano Rivera in 2013, whom was grandfathered in when the number was retired from the entire Major Leagues in 1997. 

Robinson was a fantastic player over his ten year career with the Dodgers. He hit a .311/.409/.883 slash line with 137 home runs, 734 RBI, and 197 stolen bases over his career. Robinson drove in 124 runs and stole 37 bases in 1949, which was arguably his best season ever. 

Now today, on April 15, 2014, celebrate and embrace the toughness of Robinson, and how his perseverance changed the baseball world forever. I really enjoyed watching the movie 42, which showed Robinson's struggles and how he got to the Major Leagues. Even if your favorite team may be rained out, just enjoy one of baseball's greatest moments, the debut of the world-renowned Jackie Robinson.