There's so much reading material available on Jackie Robinson and the 60th anniversary of his pioneering debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Here's but a sampling:
● See what Robinson means to Our Tiger, Curtis Granderson.
● MLB.com's Jackie Robinson page has a ton of stuff worth checking out.
● How did Robinson end up with the number 42, anyway?
● Here's the Associated Press story that covered Robinson's debut in 1947.
● Bruins Nation has a couple of posts on Robinson, who played virtually every sport known to man at UCLA.
● Not only does today's rainout at Shea Stadium mean Dmitri Young won't get to wear #42 as planned, but the major league ballpark closest to where Robinson first played won't get to celebrate his accomplishment.
● Who else is wearing #42 today?
● Bill Plaschke of the LA Times discusses Robinson's legacy outside of baseball.
● Would Robinson be saddened at how much baseball has lost touch with the black community?
● Jerry Stackhouse of the Dallas Mavericks wanted to put Robinson's last name on his jersey, but the NBA nixed the idea. Considering he already wears #42, I'm not sure what the harm would be. It'd only be for one game.
● SB Nation broham Talking Chop has some video retrospectives to watch.
● Salon.com's King Kaufman wants us to remember how much of an activist Robinson was, and thinks MLB should pay tribute to other pioneers, such as Frank Robinson.
● Speaking of which, don't forget that Larry Doby was the American League's first African-American player.
● This year also represents the 50th anniversary of Robinson's retirement. The man quit, rather than play for the hated rival he was traded to. (Think about that, Johnny Damon and Jason Schmidt.)