The Tampa Bay Rays recognize the 78th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball¡¯s color barrier. The Rays hosted a public baseball clinic on Sunday, April 13 and contributed an annual investment from the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund of $100,000 to support organizations that reflect Jackie Robinson¡¯s nine core values.
Robinson played his first major league game at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Major League Baseball has celebrated Jackie Robinson¡¯s legacy in an extensive and unified league-wide show of support over the years, including retiring his number throughout the majors in 1997, dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day each year since 2004, and requesting that every player and all on-field personnel wear his Number 42 during games scheduled on Jackie Robinson Day since 2009.
The Jackie Robinson Grant, established in 2020 by the Rays, is awarded to organizations that reflect Jackie Robinson¡¯s nine core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment and excellence. Each of the five recipients will receive $20,000 from the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund.
The 2025 Jackie Robinson Grant recipients are:
- Embracing Our Differences
- Infinite Potential Learning Academy (IPLA)
- Project Prosper
- Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA)
- Supportive Equity Connections of Tampa Bay
On Sunday April 13, the Rays partnered with The Players Alliance and Belmont Heights Little League to host a free Community Catch Baseball Clinic. The Players Alliance is a nonprofit organization founded by current and former professional baseball players, aiming to address systemic barriers to equity and inclusion in baseball by creating opportunities for Black talent on and off the field. Belmont Heights Little League is a storied youth league, started in 1968 in a historically Black neighborhood in East Tampa. Its teams have produced dozens of major leaguers, including Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield, as well as several championship titles at various levels. The league currently fields nearly 30 teams and serves more than 300 boys and girls. The Players Alliance will also provide 200 tickets for players from the Belmont Heights Little League to attend the Jackie Robinson Day celebration at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on April 15.
The Rays will honor Jackie Robinson at their game on Tuesday, April 15 at Steinbrenner Field by hosting students from the Poynter Institute¡¯s Write Field Program. The Write Field Program is a writing and mentoring program for African American and Hispanic young men from middle and high schools in Pinellas County. Students will have the chance to interview Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Anddrikk Frazier of Best Source Consulting, civil rights activist and former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, and local artist Ya La¡¯Ford. Sen. Joyner will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
In partnership with Nike, nine players from the Belmont Heights Little League will also be recognized on April 15 for exemplifying the nine core values of Jackie Robinson and will join Rays players on the field for the national anthem. Also part of the pregame ceremonies, the Rays will recognize Best Source Consulting as the team¡¯s Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner.
For more information on the Jackie Robinson Grant and the 2025 recipients, visit RaysBaseball.com/JackieRobinsonGrant.