Dave Carroll - TSN.ca
Baseball's magic number got a bit more exposure this year, it was brilliant.
Surfing around the feeds and seeing every player, manager and coach sporting the same number was a treat. Having everybody regardless of the colour of their skin, or nationality, or any other characteristic in the same number brought a sense of unity to MLB that is fitting for Jackie Robinson Day.
'42' looks great no matter who is wearing it.
Last year over 300 major leaguers wore the number in honour of Jackie Robinson and I expressed a hope that at some point everyone would pay tribute to by wearing the number. I doubt any of this space's handful of readers works at MLB's front office and to be honest, I think it was just an idea whose time had come... a bit later than it should have, but at least they got it right.
Robinson changed the face of sport in North America and struck a major blow for civil rights. He is a hero of the highest order and bringing 42 out of mostly-retirement (a player like Mariano Rivera who wore the number before it was retired league wide can still use it) for one night is a fitting gesture.
I will spare you the rest of the usual hero worship I truck out this time of year and the history lesson that most baseball fans already know. Suffice it to say, if you don't know much about Jackie Robinson, have a look around, it's a worthwhile endeavour.
As for the Robert Redford/ESPN biopic I mentioned last year on Robinson's life, there is not much more to report. The release date was supposed to be in 2010, but no new news.
-- In The Swing --
I ran across this piece from ESPN's E-60. It is a look at some classic batting stances, and although over five minutes long it's well worth a look.