Seventy-five years after Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut as the first Black player in the professional sport’s history, the Dodgers hosted the 2022 All-Star Game.
Robinson spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers but back when they were located in Brooklyn instead of Los Angeles.
Ahead of the game at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night, actor Denzel Washington paid tribute to the late player by highlighting the impact he had on and off the field.
“He changed the game of baseball and so much more,” Washington said. “What he carried with him, what he represented was towering. On the field, he was the Rookie of the Year, a Most Valuable Player, a World Series champion and a seven-time All-Star. Beyond the field, Jackie Robinson challenged us to become better versions of ourselves.”
As Washington spoke about Robinson, the Fox broadcast showcased graphics on the field of Robinson at different points of his life, whether it was his first at bat or him shaking hands with Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement.
“No. 42 blazed a trail that would light the way for people of every walk of life and every color and, to this very day, every generation,” Washington continued. “That inspiration, that profound impact looms just as large today as it did 75 years ago.”
On top of celebrating Robinson, Dodger Stadium also celebrated his wife Rachel’s 100th birthday, which coincidentally was on Tuesday. Dodgers star Mookie Betts led the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” to Rachel.
