The Reds joined Major League Baseball¡¯s annual celebration of Jackie Robinson Day with activities at the ballpark and the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy.
Every year on April 15, MLB honors the Brooklyn Dodgers legend at ballparks across the league with a day full of ceremonies to commemorate Robinson¡¯s legacy. With the Reds playing Seattle at home this season, tributes were planned before and during the game to pay homage to one of the game¡¯s most influential pioneers.
But even before the official Jackie Robinson Day at Great American Ball Park, the celebration began on April 12 at the Reds Youth Academy.
The Academy hosted four baseball games and two softball games featuring Cincinnati Public Schools varsity teams as part of the Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase presented by PNC. All participating players received a No. 42 tech T-shirt to wear before the game along with a black cap provided by Nike and the Reds Community Fund. A new wrinkle to the day included an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) College Fair featuring 10 schools from around the country. Players from the high schools and members of the RCF Scholars program had the opportunity to collect information and speak with representatives from each visiting school.
The day¡¯s events also included the fourth annual Joe Morgan HBCU Classic, with Dillard University -- Louisiana¡¯s oldest HBCU -- taking on Wilberforce University. For the third consecutive year, the players from both teams wore throwback Negro Leagues jerseys, made possible by Michael Carter, senior advisor to the president at Sinclair Community College in Dayton.
¡°It¡¯s very important to keep this alive. The players that wore these jerseys are the shoulders that these kids today are standing on,¡± Carter said. ¡°These players endured hardship for the game they loved, and we can¡¯t forget their contributions. Not just Jackie Robinson, but all the players who played in the Negro Leagues so that players today would have the opportunity. So Major League players for the Reds and all the other teams, especially players of color, it¡¯s because of these players that played 100 years ago that they are able to play today.¡±
Many of the student-athletes from Wilberforce and Dillard were also past members of the Nike RBI program, including Wilberforce junior infielder, Joe Mendy. Mendy, a three-year Reds RBI player and Butler High School graduate, participated in the RCF¡¯s annual Signing Day in 2022 when he officially put pen to paper and committed to Wilberforce. Three years later, he still gets a thrill when he has the chance to return to the Academy, especially on such a special day.
¡°It¡¯s a blessing to be back here. This was kind of like a second home for me and like a family here. It¡¯s comfortable, I feel right back at home,¡± Mendy said. ¡°The Reds did a lot for me to get me the opportunity to play in college, so it means a lot to be back here. And wearing these uniforms, these players set the tone for us. If it wasn¡¯t for them, we wouldn¡¯t be able to play the game. So it¡¯s a blessing and an honor to wear the same jerseys they did.¡±
A member of the Dillard staff also had ties to the Reds. Carl Nichols, a former MLB catcher, serves as associate head coach and hitting coach for the Bleu Devils baseball team. As part of his continued efforts in the baseball community after his playing days, Nichols worked as a coordinator of instruction at MLB¡¯s first Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., for six years. One of the children who came through those Academy doors during his tenure is a very familiar name in Reds Country.
¡°Hunter Greene was one of our first kids there at 7 years old. He was different than the other 7-year-olds,¡± Nichols said. ¡°I used to run the workouts there, and I remember his dad asked if Hunter could join the bigger kids. I said, 'He can join, but we¡¯re not going to slow the workouts down for him, he¡¯s going to have to keep up.' And sure enough he kept up. He never saw the small field, he always worked on the big field with the older kids. He was just different, even at 7 years old.¡±
While Nichols was referring to Greene being ¡°different¡± in terms of his on-field abilities, the same can be said for the Reds All-Star off the field. Greene's commitment to serving the community is different from most players, and the Wilberforce players experienced this firsthand on Jackie Robinson Day.
The team visited GABP to watch batting practice on the field before Tuesday¡¯s game. Afterward, Greene took part in a private meet & greet that included a discussion about the legacy of Jackie Robinson, a Q&A and Graeter¡¯s Ice Cream. Greene also surprised each player with a pair of new cleats.
¡°To have the opportunity to talk to and get advice from a guy who is doing what we dream and aspire to do is life-changing,¡± Mendy said. ¡°We have a relative connection [with his Academy background] so we can relate to him more. It redefines your motivation, because you see him doing what we could possibly do. So it gives us more motivation to achieve that goal of being a professional athlete. It¡¯s nice to see that people come from where I come from and are successful doing what we want to do.¡±
Greene has met with teenage student-athletes in Cincinnati to share the impact Robinson and his legacy have had on his own life every year since joining the Reds¡¯ big league roster in 2023. He understands the importance of carrying the torch ignited by Robinson and passing along No. 42¡¯s message, which is one that applies to life on and off the field.
¡°Sharing it with the next generation and believing that those kids and even baseball players at that age are going to be extremely impactful as they continue their career and walk their life,¡± said Greene of Robinson¡¯s message, while appearing on ESPN¡¯s SportsCenter Tuesday afternoon. ¡°And it goes way beyond the baseball field. It doesn¡¯t require you to play baseball. It doesn¡¯t require you to play sports, to play at the big league level. It just requires you to be a good person and pay attention to others and treat them the way you would want to be treated. So just trying to spread that word and help the kids believe in that as they continue to walk through their life is important.¡±
The recognition of the Dodgers¡¯ trailblazer continued into Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park for the official Jackie Robinson Day festivities. Fans in attendance to see the Reds defeat the Mariners took home a commemorative #42 adhesive patch, courtesy of Network for Hope. All players, managers and coaches wore No. 42 jerseys to honor Robinson¡¯s historic debut along with a ¡®42¡¯ patch on the caps.
Pregame ceremonies included a ceremonial first pitch from Roosevelt Barnes, head coach at Wilberforce. Kathy Wade, CEO of Learning Through Art, Inc., was honored with the African American Community Advocate Award, presented by PNC.
Seventy-eight years after Robinson broke baseball¡¯s color barrier, the Reds and MLB continue showcasing Robinson and his everlasting impact.