April 14, 2005

Jackie Robinson, UCLA's only four-sport athlete and the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier, was honored Thursday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in commemoration of his historic breakthrough into major league baseball, almost 58 years ago to the day (April 15, 1947).

UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnasale and Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, along with several other notable members of the Los Angeles sports community, were in attendance for the unveiling of a new bronze plaque recognizing Robinson in the Coliseum's Memorial Court of Honor.

Vin Scully, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1950, served as emcee of the ceremony, which featured a welcome by Coliseum Commission President William Chadwick as well as speeches from Carnesale, Coliseum Commissioner Zev Yaroslavsky, Guerrero, Dodgers' Vice Chairman Jamie McCourt, former Dodger player and Robinson teammate Don Newcombe and Robinson's widow, Mrs. Rachel Robinson.

UCLA, in partnering with the Coliseum Commission, co-sponsored the new Jackie Robinson plaque.

Robinson was a spectacular student-athlete at UCLA from 1939-1941, lettering in four sports -- baseball, football, basketball and track and field. He became the first African-American to play in the major leagues when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He would play his entire professional career with the Dodgers, retiring following the 1956 season.

During his career he was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947, the National League Most Valuable Player in 1949 and was a six-time all-star.

Robinson was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and became a charter member of UCLA's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the same year he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1997, Major League Baseball collectively retired his jersey number 42 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his breaking of the color line.

UCLA's baseball stadium is named in his honor - Jackie Robinson Stadium.