Jackie Robinson is still deservedly getting his due. The legend changed the sport of baseball - and the country, frankly - by stepping on to a playing surface where he wasn't welcome and refusing to be discouraged. It did not take him long to receive one of his first major honors, an induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On July 23, 2017, it's worth taking a moment to celebrate one of the hallmark moments in the legendary man's life.
Robinson's induction
Once his playing career was over, the movement to have Robinson inducted took off quickly.
There was no time to waste in inducting the player who broke the sport's color barrier - besides the mandatory wait for all retired players, that is. Robinson didn't want to be voted in simply for being a cultural leader, though; he wanted to be voted in because he deserved it. It was close, but with 75% of the vote needed, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with 77.5% of the vote on his first ballot. He became the first black player inducted.
The original plaque went into his statistics and nothing else. That was in line with his desires to be in the Hall of Fame on merit alone. It couldn't stay that way forever, though - the racial barrier was just too important to take note of. In 2008, a new plaque went up in Cooperstown that discussed Robinson's true impact on baseball and beyond.
Changes are rarely made to Hall of Fame plaques, but in this instance it was necessary. Visitors can now glimpse a true portrayal of the man.
Remembering the Hall of Fame anniversary
People around the world took to remembering the anniversary on Sunday. ESPN posted a tribute on their Twitter account. Other Twitter accounts posted photos and videos remembering the moment.
Overall, however, the moment passed without too many discussions on nationally syndicated sports programs and the like - maybe the Hall of Fame induction of Robinson isn't as memorable as the rest of his life.
It begs the question as to whether or not there are too many celebrations surrounding Robinson. There are always occasions for the man, making the Hall of Fame honor fall short in comparison.
His number is retired across the MLB and there's a day in April when every player wear's No. 42. Then again, there's never too many ways to celebrate a man who changed the perception of sports and racial relations in the country, even if he didn't have the power to solve them alone - he's just one man, after all.
