Thank You, Mr. Robinson

Anyone who’s taken a United States history class while growing up knows, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he made his major league debut as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. To those who have followed baseball in the decades since Mr. Robinson’s historic day, know that he is more than just the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era, he is also credited with opening the door to give us the game of baseball as we know and love it today.

It’s true someone else would’ve eventually broken the color barrier in Major League Baseball, but if Mr. Robinson didn't make his debut that April day, the events that transpired over the next 63 years quite, possibly would have given us a different game today. Today's players have all pointed to Jackie Robinson as inspiration for playing the game.

Just take the 2010 Twins for example, we probably wouldn’t be able to watch Denard Span, Delmon Young or Orlando Hudson. From previous Twins teams that means no Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, Shannon Stewart, Rod Carew or Kirby Puckett. The game as a whole may have never known the talents of Mr. Cub Ernie Banks, Mr. October Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, Curtis Granderson, Manny Ramirez, Mike Cameron, BJ Upton or Ryan Howard to name a few. Not to mention, players from Latin American countries like Johan Santana, David Ortiz, Sammy Sosa or Tony Oliva.

Its been sixty three years since Mr. Robinson broke baseball's color barrier and African American players only made up between 9 and 10 percent of the players on this season's Opening Day rosters. That's down from 27 percent in 1975. But could you imagine today's game without these players?