JR Day more special than ever to Rox, Cole
DENVER -- Rockies third-base coach Stu Cole is proud and happy to wear No. 42, and he¡¯s not bothered that he¡¯s one of the go-to guys when folks want to talk about Jackie Robinson Day or issues involving race and baseball.
The sport is pushing at the youth levels for a rebound, but on Opening Day, the number of Black players in the Majors was slightly below 8%. That means a small number of players and figures often are interviewed on Jackie Robinson Day.
? Jackie 'has to be remembered every year'
¡°I try to handle each situation differently, and what comes up, I try to answer it as honestly as possible,¡± Cole said. ¡°That¡¯s the best way to go about it. I don¡¯t feel afraid of people coming to me and asking me about being an African-American, one of the two or three on the ballclub. It is just something I¡¯ve been used to.¡±
MLB chose to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Aug. 28 this season for two reasons: It¡¯s the anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, which the Robinson family attended, and it also is the date in '45, when Robinson and Branch Rickey met to discuss his future as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
? Players Alliance thanks Jackie for paving way
In conjunction with the celebration, MLB announced a partnership extension with the JRF Scholarship Program, the Jackie Robinson Museum and the annual JRF ROBIE Awards. The extension is through 2023 and includes a $3.5 million commitment on behalf of MLB.
This week is especially significant. Pro sports, led by the NBA, took a pause to call attention to police violence against Black citizens. The Rockies joined on Thursday, when they decided not to play their scheduled game in Arizona.
Cole, 54, played nine seasons, mostly in the Minors, with nine games for the Royals in 1991. He said that he spent most of his time just trying to get to the Majors, but he admires today¡¯s athletes for their social awareness and shows of unity.
¡°You see people from every different background out there protesting,¡± said Cole, who finished his playing career in the Rockies¡¯ system, and has been with the organization for 25 years -- including the past eight in his current role. ¡°I know baseball is a fraternity. People tend to make friends of other races. It¡¯s been that way for a long time.
¡°For everybody to come together in unity and do something and make a statement, it¡¯s very good to see. For those guys to do that, they¡¯re not only standing up for the Black race but also standing up for themselves.¡±
Matt Kemp, a veteran with the Rockies and a longtime star, sat out Wednesday¡¯s 8-7 victory over the D-backs in Phoenix. Not everyone felt good about letting Kemp protest alone, and team meetings led to Thursday¡¯s decision. Cole said he was proud of shortstop Trevor Story, who said the team should not have played Wednesday. Story had several heartfelt conversations, one of them with Cole, whom he has known throughout his pro career.
¡°Trevor and myself had a little talk before we had our meeting, and he expressed some things to me,¡± Cole said. ¡°It was very emotional. I won¡¯t say what it was. But he expressed his opinion and his emotional stability at that time. It was good to hear something like that come from Trevor, because Trevor is a very caring person and he speaks from the heart.¡±
Injury updates
? Outfielder David Dahl (lower back soreness), and right-handed pitchers Chi Chi Gonz¨¢lez (right biceps tendinitis) and Wade Davis (right shoulder strain) all are setback-free after increased activity this week, manager Bud Black said.
? Black also said that Joe Harvey's right elbow sprain that landed him on the 45-day injured list is ¡°a little concerning,¡± and that the team will do further imaging on the elbow ligaments.