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Baseball Greats Honor Baseball Legend by Wearing His Number
The next Jackie Robinson Day falls on the 60th anniversary of an historic event in baseball. This Sunday Major League Baseball will celebrate the day in 1947 when Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in a Major League game.
Ten years ago, Jackie's number, 42, was retired from Major League Baseball to honor his achievements. But this year, it was allowed that his number be worn by any player who wants to on this day - and only this day - so that everyone remembers how Robinson changed the sport.
One of the players wearing 42 this year will be Ken Griffey Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds. The whole idea was Griffey's. He called the baseball commissioner and asked if he could wear the number on Jackie Robinson day as a tribute. Other players planning on wearing the number include San Francisco Giant's Barry Bonds, Coco Crisp of the Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals' Dmitri Young. Jackie's old team, the Dodgers, have taken things even further. On Sunday, the entire team will wear number 42.
After dominating baseball for many years, Baseball Hall of Famer and African-American Dave Winfield is worried that there aren't as many African-American baseball players today as there were in 1975. He thinks that if the trend continues, there won't be as many African-American stars like Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, and Hank Aaron.
Winfield said that part of the problem is a lack of playing fields in inner cities. Another reason is many young African American athletes choose basketball and football over baseball.
I'm Lucy and that's what happened in Sports this week!
Some of baseball's greatest legends are African-American. Can you identify them in this week's Match Game?
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