 April 15 marks one of the most important days in history for Major League Baseball. On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson made his debut and more importantly became the first black ball player to play in the Major Leagues and break the sport's color barrier after decades of segregation. Before this, black ball players played in the Negro Leagues that featured teams like the Kansas City Monarchs & the Homestead Grays.
On the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson making history, 1997 marked the year that #42 would be retired for all 30 ball clubs and no new ball player would be able to wear that number. Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera was the last ball player to wear #42 after he retired in 2013. It wasn't until 2007, when the tradition of all ball players of all 30 teams wore #42 to honor Jackie Robinson. This tradition spawned from Hall-Of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr asking former MLB commissioner Bud Selig to wear #42 on April 15th. Although no ball games will be played on April 15th, 2020, Jackie Robinson's legacy will live on. CLICK HERE to check out the complete guide to 2020 Jackie Robinson Day: a feature from MLB. Coach Jared
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 Photo Credit To www.Vivaelbirdos.com MLB is working around the clock to figure out if the 2020 season can be salvaged. This is of course when the green light is given to even step foot on the field. A new possibility brewing is to have all 30 teams play at their spring training home sites with no fans and create two divisions: The Cactus Division and the Grapefruit Division. Games would be played in Arizona and Florida respectively.
In addition, teams would be realigned to groups of 5 by geography. As a result, teams like the Padres & Mariners that share a complex would be in the same groups for example. CLICK HERE to read the entire article addressing the new division breakdowns and new potential rivalries. Leave a comment below with your thoughts. Coach Jared 
The 2020 MLB season was looking grim for the Houston Astros amid their sign-stealing scandal, but all of that attention was put on pause with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. First spring training games were canceled, then opening day was pushed back and now the entire season is in limbo.
Despite the above, Astros star pitcher and 2019 American League Cy Young Winner Justin Verlander has shined a glimmer a positive light. On social media, Verlander and wife Kate Upton announced that they would be donating their weekly paycheck to a different charity that is in the fight against the pandemic.​
Ultimately, Verlander is setting a precedent for MLB players to help in a way that can save a number of lives.
 It looks like Grand Canyon state may be the temporary home to all 30 MLB teams to start the delayed 2020 Season. According to many news sources like this article from ESPN, MLB is seriously considering this plan. However, there are several questions that have to be addressed including:
As a baseball coach, fan and former professional player, I’m excited at the idea of watching ball games again! There are only so many highlights, reruns and memes the baseball community can handle. What are your thoughts on the idea of starting games without fans in Arizona? Leave a comment below and vote here. |
AuthorCoach Jared Eichelberger is a San Diego native who enjoys sharing baseball knowledge to help build awesome playing & coaching experiences for all. ArchivesCategories
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