April 15th is an important day in the United States. It’s not a day we’ve ever really looked forward to: the day when your taxes are due. That was until 2004, when Major League Baseball instituted Jackie Robinson Day. While there have been many legends to play between the chalk and bring decades of joy and exhileration to fans of America’s Pasttime, Robinson is the only one to have his number 42 retired all across the sport, and a day that honors him with every player in the league wearing that number for the day. Baseballism is the go-to place for all things baseball fandom, and this year, they released a collection of Jackie Robinson-inspired gear featuring the number 42 for fans of the league to wear. But the legend of Robinson and the clothing you wear from the Baseballism Jackie Robinson Day collection is more than baseball; it transcends the game, the same way he did.
Living your life like a legend
Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life. – Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was honored by baseball not just because he was one of the greatest players in baseball history. He was honored because he was the first to break the color barrier. When the country was rising to the level of a superpower in 1947, Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers and officially desegregated the league. Without him, we wouldn’t have gotten Willy Mays, Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., or Barry Bonds. He didn’t let fear of backlash or societal blockades stop him from achieving his dream. Instead, he forged ahead and lived his life his way, and now you can take that inspiration with you as you do the same. It doesn’t have to be April 15th for you to remember to live your life on the field instead of in the grandstand. Instead, you can remind yourself of it every single day.
