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Baseball Honors Stamford's Jackie Robinson

STAMFORD, Conn. — Former Stamford resident and baseball legend Jackie Robinson was honored all across baseball Sunday in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of him breaking the color barrier in the sport in 1947.

Every player donned Robinson’s 42, which has been retired from baseball with the exception of the Yankees Mariano Rivera who is the only remaining player to have worn the number when it was retired around the league in 1997, a New York Times article said.

Also, every home team had special bases, lineup cards, and pregame ceremonies to honor the civil rights hero, a press release from Major League Baseball said. The visiting teams will have similar events at their ballparks later this month, the release said.

Robinson’s widow, Rachel, and his daughter, Sharon, took part in the ceremony at Yankee Stadium before the Bronx Bombers defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

"This anniversary serves as a reminder of Jack's enduring legacy and the profound impact he had on America," Rachel Robinson said in the release.

"It is a privilege for Major League Baseball to celebrate Jackie's enduring legacy each year, and we are proud that every April 15th, our young fans around the world have an opportunity to learn everything that the Number 42 stands for - courage, grace and determination,” Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig said in the release.

Robinson played with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947-56 and was a career .311 hitter and scored 947 runs in that time. The six-time all-star and 1949 National League Most-Valuable Player was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

He was born in Cairo, Ga. Jan. 31, 1919, and died in Stamford Oct. 24, 1972. 

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