New York City is honoring the 75th anniversary of the late Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier in a big way. The iconic 42nd Street and Broadway intersection in Manhattan has been temporarily renamed the "Jackie Robinson Way" on Friday.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, along with Robinson's eldest granddaughter, Sonya Panke, and Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Mariano Rivera and Joe Torrey, unveiled a blue and white road sign displaying Robinson's logo to commemorate 75 years .
42nd & Broadway in NYC has temporarily become Jackie Robinson Way 💙
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 15, 2022
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/zj7B9qcHtX
Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. While baseball is known as America's pastime, Manfred said it was not until "Jackie and those who followed him" integrated the sport.
"Jackie's courage was a beacon for much-needed change for both our sport and our society," Manfred said. "Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Jackie set baseball on a new course, and in doing so, he inspired those who would lead the Civil Rights movement and those who would support that movement."
Robinson paved the way for such legends as Larry Dobie, Henry "Hank" Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, and Bob Gibson. The six-time All-Star also made it possible for players like Griffey, who started MLB's tradition on Jackie Robinson Day for players to enjoy their favorite game.
"If it weren't for him, maybe my dad never played. Maybe I never played," Griffey said. "[Robinson] went through things I couldn't imagine ... and I had to go through it. Not needed because that man did it for us and he did it for this country."
Former MLB commissioner Bud Selig retired Robinson's number 42 jersey league-wide on April 15, 1997, during a ceremony in the middle of a Dodgers-Mates game.
Rivera, who spent his entire career with the Yankees, was the last player to wear the number 42 on a regular basis. However, the 13-time All-Star, who admits he didn't know much about Robinson's influence when he entered the league, has learned of this phenomenal player and is grateful for his legacy.
"Because of my coming from beautiful Panama, I didn't know much about professional baseball. ... I was given number 42 and someone asked about Mr. Jackie Robinson. I said, 'Who is that? I have a clue. Haven't got it,'" Rivera said via MLB.com. "But in 1997 when he started doing all these things [to honor Robinson] and removed Number 42 from baseball, I said, ' Wait a minute. I want to know who this man is.'
"And I learned about Mr. Jackie Robinson and I was proud because I had the number. ... I just wanted to take his legacy to a different level. I wanted Mr. Jackie Robinson to be proud of me. Because he did What he did for us was amazing, and we wanted to do what he did for us. We could do nothing but play the game he loved to play and do what we could, And I think we did. So he's in heaven, looking down and saying he's proud. He's definitely proud."