Pa. little league honors Jackie Robinson: "We all wear 42"
DREXEL HILL, Pa. (CBS) -- A Delaware County little league is doing their part to honoring the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson.
At Dermond Field in Drexel Hill, Friday was Jackie Robinson Day for the 11- and 12-year-olds in the town's little league.
Between games, a special ceremony was held to highlight Robinson's accomplishments and legacy: how on April 15, 1947, he became the first African American to play in the MLB when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
MLB remembered the Hall of Famer and icon Saturday as his granddaughter, Ayo Robinson, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
But Drexel Hill Little League wanted to remember Robinson too, and make sure their young players understood his legacy.
We caught up with the man at the heart of the evening's events.
"Major League Baseball's been doing it every April 15 for the last couple of decades, and it's important that this next generation recognizes Jackie's role," said coach Nicholas Hoyt.
Upper Darby Library was there, giving away free books. Baseball historian and author Rich Wescott was there too, sharing why it's important that these young players learn about Robinson.
"I think it's very important for kids to know about Jackie Robinson, what he did, and that's a very important step in our society," Wescott said.
Jackie Robinson's impact on the field of play itself is impressive enough.
He was the National League rookie of the year and a few years later was league MVP.
And on the eve of the 76th anniversary of him breaking baseball's color barrier, the event celebrated all he did and meant, on and off the field of play.
"Tonight, we all wear 42," the league wrote on Facebook, referring to Robinson's number which has since been retired across the MLB.
"Baseball wasn't even Jackie's best sport, he was an all around natural athlete," Hoyt said. "But for his ability to still be able to keep that sense of...grace, that character, those values, to not give in to whatever the negatives that would have set the whole project back, if you want to call it a project."
"This was so important to this community, to this sport, to everybody, to bring this to Drexel Hill Little League," board member Karla Smith said.
And I wanted to know what Nick hopes those in attendance take away from the night's festivities.
"More than anything else, sports brings people together. And if we don't have that, if these kids aren't playing together, working together, what else can we do?" Hoyt said.
