Since 2005, every April 15th has been designated as Jackie Robinson Day across all of MLB. It of course has special meaning to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team for which he debuted in 1947.
Since the statue of Jackie Robinson was installed in 2017, Manager Dav Roberts has held a moment of celebration and remembrance at that spot in honor of Robinson, who broke the color barrier on April 15th, 1947. Visiting teams have joined the Dodgers in the past, and this year was no different as the New York
Mets joined in the festivities.
“That was special,” Mets second baseman Marcus Semien said. “It was cool to be a part of that. My first time. I didn’t realize that they do that every year here, so being able to do that in this ballpark, I think they do a tremendous job.”
Negro League Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick was also on hand to conclude the gathering with his remarks.
“We make the rather bold assertion that Jackie’s breaking of the color barrier wasn’t just a part of the Civil Rights Movement,” Kendrick said. “It was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.”
MLB.com’s Sonja Chen has more of the details of the day here.
Shohei Ohtani pitched in the game against the Mets, the first time he had ever pitched against that team. It was also the first time since May 28, 2021 that Ohtani had not pitched in a game that he had also been the starting pitcher.
Ohtani was hit by a pitch in Monday’s game by Mets pitcher David Peterson, and went 0-for-7 afterwards. Roberts said that if that hadn’t happened, Ohtani would be playing his usual two-way player thing. He also added that Ohtani will resume his leadoff position in ensuing games, and will be evaluated before his next pitching outing as to whether he will pitch and hit.
Ohtani’s scoreless streak ended in the top of the fifth inning, when MJ Melendez doubled in Carson Benge for just the Mets second run of the series.
In Tuesday night’s game against the Mets, reliever Alex Vesia recorded his first save of the season, and there were some very special people in attendance.
Alex and his wife Kayla endured the most unbearable of losses, the passing of their baby daughter Sterling Sol shortly after her birth. The Vesias chose Tuesday night’s game, which was in honor of health care workers, to honor the staff at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center who was there with them in their unimaginable time of grief.
“Today was the first time I’ve seen pretty much all of them since everything,” Vesia said after earning the save in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win Tuesday. “So it was very special, very emotional. I couldn’t have written it any better.”
Maddie Lee of the L.A. Times covered the emotional details here.
