Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers' Mookie Betts, David Price, and Kenley Jansen Honor Jackie Robinson on Anniversary of Major League Debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers players were among many Major League Baseball stars who celebrated Jackie Robinson's legacy on social media.

Rob Leiter

Wednesday marked an important day in Major League Baseball history.

April 15, 1947 was the day Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier in baseball. Since March 2004, MLB honors his legacy by celebrating "Jackie Robinson Day" on the anniversary of the historic debut.

Ordinarily, the Dodgers would be celebrating inside the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium for a pregame ceremony with every player on the field wearing the No. 42. The Dodgers were originally scheduled to host the St. Louis Cardinals on Jackie Robinson Day this season.

Instead, because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the MLB season has been postponed indefinitely and the league was unable to celebrate the anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut.

However, that did not stop many MLB players including current Dodgers from honoring the legacy of the late Jackie Robinson on social media.

Two of the newest members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mookie Betts and David Price, each posted tributes to Robinson on Twitter. Many fans are hoping they will get to see Betts play in a Dodger uniform before he becomes a free agent  in 2021.

Dodgers' closer Kenley Janen also shared the same Jordan Brand video on his Twitter that Betts did.

The Dodgers team Twitter account encouraged fans to change their profile picture to No. 42.

Robinson's former team weren't the only ones celebrating Jackie Robinson Day without baseball being played. Several prominent baseball stars also took to social media to honor the legend.

Retired outfielder Curtis Granderson shared this photo he has of Robinson stealing home and announced that he would be donating 42,000 meals to the COVID-19 food banks in honor of Robinson's No. 42.

Another newly retired player, former Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia, also honored Jackie Robinson by posting the video of Robinson stealing home in Game 1 of the 1955 World Series.

Utility player Niko Goodrum of the Detroit Tigers posted a picture of the mural at his house that features Robinson.

San Diego Padres outfielder Tommy Pham retweeted a picture of the cleats he would have been wearing today, and will eventually wear on the field once baseball resumes.

New York Mets' pitcher Marcus Stroman also posted a tribute and showed off his Jackie Robinson tattoo on his right calf.

Finally, Chicago White Sox shortstop, Tim Anderson, celebrated the anniversary by talking about Jackie Robinson and his legacy with kids from the ACE program on Zoom.

Additionally, film producer, Thomas Tull, who produced the movie "42," a biopic about Jackie Robinson, announced that he would donate exactly $4.2 million dollars worth of personal protective equipment to hospitals that serve the African American community and other hospitals that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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