No. 42

To the average American the number 42 is meaningless. To those associated with Major League Baseball, number 42 is sacred. 42 was the number worn by Jackie Robinson. The number was issued to him at random during his rookie season, and it's the number he proudly wore on his Dodgers uniform from April 15, 1947 until the end of the 1956 season.

Robinson retired in 1956 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962. But it wasn't until ten years later that tensions between Robinson and Walter O'Malley, the team's owner during that era, thawed enough for Robinson to return to the ballpark on the day the Dodgers retired his number.

In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in the Major Leagues, Commissioner Bud Selig retired No. 42 throughout baseball, grandfathering in only the players then wearing the number. Mariano Rivera, who joined the Yankees in 1995, is the only active player still wearing Robinson's number.

On Sunday, Selig "unretired" the number for a day. Many players, and a few full teams, including the Dodgers, will wear No. 42 in honor of Robinson.

It's ironic that in spite of the trail Robinson blazed, the number of American blacks on major league baseball teams continues to drop. Participation of American blacks declined from 28% in 1975 to 8.5% today. Baseball may still be referred to as our "national pastime," but increasing it is becoming an international sport. In 2006, 27% of the major league players were foreign born.

But on Sunday, April 15, we pause to recognize the accomplishment of one of the greatest men to have ever played the game of baseball. Jackie Robinson excelled on and off the field. His memory and heritage continue on.

Jackie Robinson once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson impacted a city, a game, a nation, and an entire culture. Number 42 lives on.