Aaron Judge reflects on why Jackie Robinson Day is a "humbling reminder"

MLB: Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees - Source: Imagn — Aaron Judge reflects on why Jackie Robinson Day is a humbling reminder - Source: Imagn

MLB has witnessed several iconic players feature in the league in the years gone by, none bigger than the late Jackie Robinson. The baseball fraternity pays tribute to the legend by celebrating Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 every year.

Ahead of the New York Yankees' second game of the series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, two-time MVP Aaron Judge reflected on the significance of Jackie Robinson on his career and the importance of the occasion.

MLB analyst Bryan Hoch shared the Yankees captains' thoughts via a social media post on Tuesday. According to Hoch, Judge said:

"I wouldn't be standing here today without all the sacrifices that Jackie made, and a lot of people before me. It's a humbling reminder, looking back on his story and what he went through just to play this game."

All 30 teams celebrate Jackie Robinson's life on April 15, and players across the league wear his iconic No. 42 jersey to pay tribute to the Hall of Famer who changed sports forever.

Aaron Boone, Jazz Chisholm Jr. addressed Jackie Robinson's impact

Yankees skipper Aaron Boone also reflected on Jackie Robinson's impact on the game after he broke the color barrier by joining the now-defunct Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

“He’s one of the most important figures in American history, and certainly in the last 80 years now or so,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, he was part of integrating our sport, but part of further integrating America and other sports.”

One of the other players who has been impacted by the MLB icon is Jazz Chisholm Jr. The star second baseman revealed learning about the former World Series winner from his maternal grandmother, who was a softball player.

“That was my grandma’s favorite player,” Chisholm said about Jackie Robinson. “So for me to be able to wear 42, to feel like Jackie – I normally always go high socks on Jackie Robinson Day, all that — so I can’t wait.”

The Yankees came from behind to win 4-2 on Tuesday, winning the series with a game to go on Wednesday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash