"It was a turning point for our game and for our world," manager Mike Matheny said of Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier when he appeared for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947. "I think there have been so many well done movies and documentaries on the impact and just how he was the right person at the right time to do what he did. He was courageous. And just following his life and the quotes that he had, he continues to make an impact on people's lives. That's success."
Robinson's No. 42 was retired league-wide in 1997, and then-Commissioner Bud Selig first officially established Jackie Robinson Day in 2004.