What number was retired across all of MLB in honor of Jackie Robinson?

Jackie Robinson's name is a storied one in baseball. Apart from being a skilled fielder and hitter, Robinson's courage changed the face of baseball and helped develop the modern game that we all love.

Although his name is widely known, few are aware of who the man was and the magnificence of his accomplishments. So important was his contribution to the game that his jersey number was the first and only number to be retired league-wide.

"Jackie Robinson walks away from Ebbets Field after playing his first MLB game, 1947" - @ Baseball in Pics

Jackie Robison was born in Georgia in 1919. He was admitted to the Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Fort Riley, Kansas, in the early 1940s, one of the few Black applicants to gain entry. Robinson spent the majority of the war in the U.S. Army, but he never saw action. He was honorably discharged in 1944.

After the war, Robinson enrolled at Sam Houston College in Tennessee. During his time there, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League sent him a personal letter offering to let him join the team. His batting average of .347 in the Negro League began attracting attention from MLB suitors, none of whom had ever signed a Black player.

A year later, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers - a precursor to the LA Dodgers. Although he spent 1946 in the minor leagues, he was eventually called up to the Dodgers on the eve of the 1947 season.

"Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese after Game 1 of the 1952 World Series" - @ Baseball in Pics

On April 11, 1947, Robinson made his debut for the Dodgers in a preseason game against the New York Yankees with over 25,000 fans in attendance. A large proportion of the spectators were local Black fans who had come to Ebbets Field to witness history.

It wasn't easy for Robinson to play in the MLB. Apart from some white teammates on the Dodgers saying they would rather sit out, Robinson was constantly derided by other teams, sometimes physically. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Enos Slaughter gashed Robinson's leg with his shoe spikes, and Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman once shouted "go back to the cotton fields."

However, Robinson persisted. He won the 1947 Rookie of the Year Award for hitting 12 home runs, 48 RBIs, and a league-leading 29 stolen bases. In 1949, he won the NL MVP Award after stealing 37 bases.

Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, the MLB retired his number, 42, from all 30 MLB clubs. April 15 was henceforth known as "Jackie Robinson Day," when all players wear a jersey with the number 42 in a nod to Robinson's racial trailblazing.

Jackie Robinson was probably the most important player in history

Although Robinson hit 141 home runs, 761 RBIs, and stole 200 bases over the course of his 11-year career, his bravery in the face of hatred and discrimination ultimately made the league a more accepting entity. He will always be remembered for it.