On Jackie Robinson Day, all players, coaches and umpires to wear No. 42

Jackie Robinson Day will be celebrated Friday in every Major League Baseball park around the country to honor the Hall of Fame infielder who broke baseball's color barrier by becoming the first African American to play in the majors when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.








To pay respect to Robinson, hundreds of players, coaches and umpires will don No. 42 as all MLB teams will be required to wear the legendary player's now-retired number. Robinson is so important to baseball that his number is not just retired for the team for which he played, the Dodgers, but it is retired on every team in baseball. Mariano Rivera, the veteran closer of the New York Yankees, is the only current player to sport the number, and he will be baseball's last.

Los Angeles baseball fans may remember in 2007 when Angels outfielder Garret Anderson chose not to follow the lead of other African American ball players and wear Robinson's number. Back then, wearing the number on Jackie Robinson Day was an optional way to honor the athlete. Anderson said that although he has a great appreciation for Robinson, he didn't want to don the number because Ken Griffey Jr., among others, came up with the idea. Meanwhile, other players of a variety of ethnicities wanted to wear the number. Today, everyone will wear the number.

Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson' wife and the Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and Robinson's daughter Sharon Robinson will participate in festivities before the Yankees game in New York. Members of the Tuskegee Airmen will be the color guard before the Phillies game in Philadelphia. And in Houston, the Astros are honoring Robinson by selling tickets at half price for Friday night's game against the San Diego Padres.

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers will hold festivities for Robinson on the field. Off the field, several Dodgers will visit will hold a panel discussion at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles Friday to discuss the UCLA graduate's legacy. Current Dodgers Matt Kemp, James Loney, Marcus Thames, Xavier Paul and Tony Gwynn Jr., will join former Dodgers legends Don Newcombe, Sweet Lou Johnson, Tommy Davis and Maury Wills in the discussion.