Today is Jackie Robinson Day in the SPN has produced a preview podcast.

Jesse Washington every April we see Major League Baseball celebrate Jackie Robinson Day.

So how would you describe what that day today commemorates?

So Jackie Robinson Day and the basic sense is the day that he ended racial segregation

in Major League Baseball. It's the day that for the first time a black man played in what had been

a totally white league. But in the larger sense it's a huge moment in American history.

Some say it was the beginning of the civil rights movement and it set America on a course

toward what we hope is real equality. And so how does an occasion like that get celebrated across

baseball? Yeah it's really a wonderful thing. Every player in the league on every team

wears Jackie's number number 42. And this year will be in Dodger blue on every jersey.

There are ceremonies at every game to honor Jackie Robinson and his family.

Back on the 50th anniversary Jackie Robinson's number 42 was retired not only for the Dodgers

we played for but across the league. Throughout its long history Major League Baseball has operated

under the premise that no single person is bigger than the game. No single person other than Jackie

Robinson. No Major League Baseball player will wear 42 again except on this day. It's really special.

In honor of Jackie Major League Baseball is taking the unprecedented step of retiring his uniform number

number 42 in perpetuity.

And so this specialness the symbolism the pageantry the reverence I get it but I also am almost

more curious about what every other day feels like Jesse in terms of that relationship the

on the ground relationship between baseball and black America. How would you even begin to describe

that? That's the tough part Pablo because it's not great.

Interest has been waning for years in the sport. It's somewhat ignored. And so

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