MLB teams across the board stop issuing the number of the man who broke baseball’s color barrier, and in the process, became a national hero
On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball honored trailblazer and Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson by retiring his #42 for all teams across the game. The legendary Brooklyn Dodger was honored in appreciation of courage and heroics in breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Enduring hatred, insults, and even death threats, Robinson persevered to change the game and, in many ways, American society as a whole.
The final players who still owned those digits were allowed to keep them, but no more could follow. Yankees legend Mariano Rivera was the last active MLB player to wear the number 42. The legendary Yankees closer was the last active player to wear it until his retirement following the 2013 season.
Today, Robinson’s legacy lives on in a way that is both visible and deeply felt. Every April 15, players, coaches, and managers across Major League Baseball don No. 42 in unison, a powerful visual tribute that bridges generations.
It serves as a reminder that while numbers can be retired, the meaning behind them never fades. Robinson’s story continues to echo through the game—a lasting testament that progress, once achieved, must be remembered, honored, and carried forward.