Rare Jackie Robinson artifacts are being auctioned ahead of the 75th anniversary of Robinson's major league baseball debut today. But more on that in a minute. Robinson’s legacy cannot be overstated.
At a time when he was being insulted by members of his own team, he pushed on to become the first African American player in the Major Leagues. On April 15, 1947, he proudly took the field for the National League Brooklyn Dodgers in a game against the Boston Braves. Up until that day, professional ballplayers of color only suited up for teams in the so-called Negro Leagues.
Today? Celebrations and commemorations will be taking place across the country. And something that’ll catch your eye – Robinson’s number 42. While it was officially retired in 1997, that changed in 2009, when the practice of every player, coach and manager wearing 42 on April 15th became the tradition.
- As for the auction, it runs through April 30th and includes several one-of-a-kind artifacts in a special catalogue sale. We're talking about the bat Robinson used during the 1949 all-star game and the plaque he received in 1962 when he became the first black player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His Number 42's 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers home jersey is also available. A 1950 jersey sold last year for more than four-million-dollars.