Los Angeles Sentinel Publisher, civil rights icon and real estate entrepreneur Danny Bakewell Sr. threw the first pitch as the L.A. Dodgers played against the San Francisco Giants on Jackie Robinson Day on Friday. All players throughout Major League Baseball wore the no. 42 jerseys on April 15 to commemorate 69 years since Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.
Bank of America was the presenting sponsor of the Jackie Robinson day at Dodger Stadium giving the first 40,000 fans adult replica Jackie Robinson jersey’s.
“Jackie Robinson [is] probably one of the most influential players in baseball and baseball history,” said second basemen Howie Kendrick in a tribute video for the Hall of Famer. “Without Jackie, I don’t think I’d be standing here talking to you today.”
Special guests at the game included Robinson’s wife Rachel and daughter Sharon along with Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers teammate Don Newcombe. Frank Robinson, the first African American Major League manager, also attended.
The Dodgers invited the softball and baseball teams of Robinson’s alma mater John Muir High School to attend the game.
The L.A. team also did community outreach activities to celebrate Robinson’s achievements. Crenshaw High School’s baseball and softball teams visited Dodger Stadium on Friday to see the PBS documentary on Robinson and participated in a Q&A session with Dodgers alum Tommy Davis and Dodgers historian Mark Langill.
Dodger players Carl Crawford and Trayce Thompson visited Commonwealth Elementary School with three-time Olympian Leah Amico to host a Play Ball event, an initiative with a goal to inspire the importance of baseball activities.
Los Angeles beat San Francisco 7-3 on Jackie Robinson day.
Left Fielder Enrique Hernandez scored 4 RBI’s, which included two home runs. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw pitched 107 times and got 73 strikes. Giants’ pitcher Madison Bumgarner had 7 strikeouts, one more than Kershaw.
Hunter Pence earned the only RBI the Giants scored that night. Second baseman Joe Panik, left fielder Angel Pagan, and Bumgarner all scored one run each.
Hernandez made his first homerun in the bottom of the first inning on the first pitch. San Francisco earned their first run when Kershaw threw a wild pitch while catcher Buster Posey was at bat.
In the fourth inning, the Dodgers scored 4 runs by third basemen Justin Turner, Kendrick, short stop Charlie Culberson and catcher A.J. Ellis.
The Dodgers went 2-1 in their three-game series against the Giants. On Saturday, the Dodgers lost to San Francisco 3-4 and beat the Giants on Sunday 3-1.
