42 days until Mariners Opening Day! Remembering Jackie Robinson

There are just 42 days until the Seattle Mariners start their 2021 season. 42 was also the number of the great and groundbreaking Jackie Robinson. While Seattle has had a few players wear number 42, Dave Henderson being the most productive one who played for Seattle between 1981 and 1986, no Mariners player will ever wear number 42 again.

In fact, no MLB team will have a player who wears number 42 again. Major League Baseball, while they have issues sometimes making decisions for the betterment of the sport, did the right thing and retired the number 42 for good on April 15, 1997 and made this day Jackie Robinson Day. Now every season has a Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th where all players wear Robinson’s number.

Jackie Robinson never played for the Mariners, of course. He actually passed away in 1972 before Seattle had a franchise. But through Robinson’s courage and ability to play extremely well under the immense pressure of being the first African-American player in the majors, Robinson paved the way for many of the best Mariners in team history.

Mariners because of Jackie Robinson

What would Seattle have been like, for instance, if Ken Griffey, Jr. had never donned a baseball uniform? Or Mike Cameron? Or any other African-American to ever play. Robinson’s performance not only made baseball better, but it also made humanity better.

Jackie Robinson played 10 seasons in the majors, all with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1955 he helped the Dodgers win the team’s first World Series. Robinson was MVP in 1949, his third year in MLB. That season he had 124 RBI, walked 86 but only struck out 27 times. He led the National League with 37 stolen bases and with a .342 batting average.

Robinson was a six-time all-star between 1949 and 1954 and was Rookie of the Year in 1947. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. But Robinson was an even better person than baseball player and this is why the number 42 should always be honored.