Jackie Robinson Day is a big event in baseball. All 30 clubs play, and all players wear the number 42—retired throughout MLB—to honor the late, great Jackie Robinson. While the event itself is typically a joyful one, recalling the barriers broken by Robinson that paved the way for so many young men to play the game today, it’s also meant to be a time of reflection and introspection, something that seemed lacking this year as MLB instead focused on selling merch and using carefully worded press releases to avoid hot-button topics.
Let’s be clear though: Jackie Robinson Day is important, and its meaning shouldn’t be swept under the rug.