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Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers Celebrate Jackie Robinson

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Manager Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers are celebrating Jackie Robinson on Monday for what would have been his 103rd birthday by hosting a Q&A session at Dodger Stadium.

Robinson’s son, David, will take part in the event that is being held at the iconic Jackie Robinson statue located in the center field plaza of Dodger Stadium. Roberts and David Robinson will welcome approximately 60 softball and baseball players from John Muir High School Early College Magnet.

This season marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. MLB celebrates the landmark accomplishment every April 15 by having all on-field personnel wear Robinson’s iconic No. 42.

In the event games are not played that day due to the ongoing MLB lockout, it’s presumed Jackie Robinson Day would be celebrated later in the year — just as the league did in 2020.

Robinson spent the entirety of his 10-year career with the Dodgers, hitting .311/.409/.474 with 137 home runs, 273 triples, 734 RBIs and 197 stolen bases. He ranks ninth on the Dodgers’ all-time batting average leaders list, and 13th all-time in doubles and stolen bases.

The Pasadena, Calif., native was a six-time All-Star and part of the 1955 Dodgers World Series championship team. Robinson had his No. 42 jersey retired by the Dodgers on June 4, 1972, and five years later it was retired throughout Major League Baseball.

Jackie Robinson statue moved

When the Dodgers first unveiled the Jackie Robinson statue in 2017 during a ceremony that was attended by team president and CEO Stan Kasten, part owner Magic Johnson, Sandy Koufax and Don Newcombe, Vin Scully and several others, it was installed on the reserve level.

However, when the Dodgers completed their Dodger Stadium renovations, the bronze statue was relocated to the center field plaza, where it eventually will be accompanied by other pieces.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com