Rivera’s 42 Is Far More Than a Number to Him
from nytimes.com
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: April 12, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS, April 11 — Mariano Rivera was given No. 42 sometime during his
rookie season in 1995, and it was two more years before he realized that
Jackie Robinson had worn it for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The number was retired throughout baseball in 1997, except for active players
who were then wearing it. The only one left is Rivera, who now feels a
kinship with Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
“The legacy that Jackie left for us, especially as a minority player like
me, being the last one to wear No. 42 is an honor, and I do carry it with
honor,” Rivera said Wednesday. “I’m blessed.”
This Sunday, on the 60th anniversary of Robinson’s major league debut, Major
League Baseball is allowing all interested players to wear No. 42. The
Yankees announced that Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Manager Joe Torre will
join Rivera in wearing the number.
“He’s a guy you’ve got to thank every single day,” said Cano, who is
named after Robinson. “We’re here because of him. If it wasn’t for him, we
wouldn’t be here.”
Jeter said he sat next to Robinson’s widow, Rachel, at the New York Baseball
Writers’ dinner after the 1996 World Series. Since then, Rachel Robinson has
attended the dinner for Jeter’s foundation.
“I’ve always had the utmost respect for her and her daughter,” Jeter said.
“It’s a great family. If there was one player I could play with or talk to,
it would be Jackie Robinson.”
Torre grew up a New York Giants fan, and he said he rooted against Robinson.
But years later, when Torre was a major leaguer and Robinson was working for
Chock Full o’Nuts, he met Robinson and shook his hand.
“As a teenager growing up, you’d play sandlot ball and get little trophies,
even if it was just a hitter on top of a little stand, and it’d be him,”
Torre said. “On some of them, you could see the outline of the little ‘42’
on his back. He was a model for more than just the freedom to do what you
want.”
The idea to honor Robinson by wearing his number originated with the
Cincinnati Reds’ Ken Griffey Jr., who asked Commissioner Bud Selig for
permission. Rivera said baseball should have gone a step further and required
all players to wear 42 for the day.
“I think if they’re doing a national day on Jackie Robinson, the whole
major league should wear it,” Rivera said. “You’re doing a special day for
a special player. Well, let’s make it special. Everyone should wear it. You’
re not just talking about any person or any player.”
All members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the St. Louis Cardinals and the
Pittsburgh Pirates, at least, will wear No. 42 on Sunday.
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