Major League Baseball (MLB) forever changed for the better on April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the league’s color barrier. The league — along with its fans — celebrates that transformation, which arrives in 2025 on Tuesday as a reminder of Robinson’s pioneering efforts away from the diamond, in addition to his supreme talent on the field.
After serving with the United States Army from 1942 to 1944 during World War II, Robinson returned to the United States for his lone season with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945, during which he tallied 13 doubles and four home runs to lead the Negro American League. When he arrived into Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he made an immediate statement with more than just his appearance. As a rookie in 1947, Robinson led the National League with 29 stolen bases on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and finishing fifth in MVP voting. Two years later, Robinson led all of baseball with 37 steals and a National League-best .342 batting average, earning the first of his six consecutive All-Star selections and the 1949 Most Valuable Player Award.
Nashville also carries a special place in Robinson’s career. First, he played an exhibition game with the Monarchs in 1945 at Nashville’s historic Sulphur Dell ballpark against the Birmingham Black Barons. Then, with the Dodgers, Robinson played in exhibition games annually from 1952 to 1956, thrilling the thousands in attendance at every game with his bat and his glove in the infield. Five years after his retirement, Robinson returned to Nashville and appeared on April 15, 1962, at the Ryman Auditorium (pictured above, right).
The recognition of Jackie Robinson’s legacy across Major League Baseball came in three key elements. First came a league-wide retirement of Robinson’s No. 42 in 1997. Next, an annual dedication of April 15 as “Jackie Robinson Day” — which began in 2004 — and since 2009, all players and on-field personnel have been requested to wear Robinson’s No. 42 during Jackie Robinson Day games.
Speaking of those games, the Cleveland Guardians will head to Baltimore to take on the Orioles for the start of a three-game series (7:05 p.m. ET, TBS) in the nationally televised game of the night. Robinson’s Los Angeles Dodgers drew the final slot of Tuesday night’s slate, hosting the Colorado Rockies with a 10:10pm (ET) first pitch for the second game of three at Dodger Stadium. To check your favorite team’s matchup and game time for Jackie Robinson Day, click here to see the full day’s schedule.
The Nashville Stars applaud Major League Baseball for continuing to celebrate the transformation brought forth by Jackie Robinson, and look forward to continuing to honor Robinson’s legacy by becoming the first MLB franchise named for a Negro Leagues team.
