April 15th...
April 15th...
When we hear April 15, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? I bet that like me and many others… you think taxes.
A note from your accountant (not) … With the Coronavirus and the CARES Act, the federal and Missouri governments have pushed the tax deadline to July 15, so if you haven’t filed/paid your 2019 taxes yet, don’t panic! Also, don’t panic because this blog is not about taxes!
Does April 15 have any other significance to you?
Like many St. Louisans, I am a passionate baseball fan and I have deeply missed Opening Day. The roar of the crowd, the excitement, the Clydesdales (for goodness sake), and the hope that maybe this will again be the year for our Cardinals.
If you are also a baseball enthusiast, you may know that on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he made his epic and historic debut into Major League Baseball. Each year, this is celebrated by all of the ballplayers in the major leagues wearing his renowned number 42. Furthermore, April 15 is the only time the number 42 is allowed to be worn in the Major Leagues. Also, each stadium has retired the number 42 and has it displayed somewhere in the stadium.
At Busch Stadium it is on the outfield wall and was actually retired twice, first for Jackie Robinson and second, for Bruce Sutter who wore the number before Jackie Robinson’s number was officially retired by the MLB.
For some fun background... The idea of wearing the number 42 came from a kid, or should I say “The Kid” Ken Griffey Jr., who played for a variety of teams in the Majors, and on a personal note was one of my all-time favorites to watch. “The Kid” called up Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Baseball at that time, and asked Mr. Selig if he could wear the number 42 on April 15 in honor of Mr. Robinson. After a bit of thought, Bud Selig told Ken he would like every player to wear Jackie’s number on this day as long as his wife, Rachel Robinson, agreed with the idea.
Ken Griffey’s kid-like reply was... and I quote, “The more the merrier!” And that is how Jackie Robinson Day and the honoring of the doors he opened and the stereotypes he shattered came into existence for us all.
Sadly, on April 15, 2020, there was no baseball and no wearing of the number 42 on every major leaguer’s back as a tribute to Jackie.
There has been so much lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I wanted to use this opportunity for each of you reading this blog to allow the legacy of Jackie Robinson to be brought back up to the surface regardless of the absence of baseball. Please use this as an opportunity to share the relevance and significance Mr. Robinson had on us all on a personal and societal level. Take time to reflect, teach, learn and grow through his actions and behaviors in overcoming gigantic obstacles that included, but were not limited to, just plain hatred.
Mr. Robinson is bigger than the game. Brooklyn Dodgers Owner Branch Rickey asked him straight out if he was strong enough to be the first black player in the majors. He was asked if he could see the significance his play would have on the major leagues because, through his actions, he had the opportunity to change the world for the better. Fortunately for all of us, that was a weight that Jackie’s enormous shoulders were more than capable of carrying. Jackie was quoted as saying. “Life is not a spectator sport. If you are going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your time.” Thank you, Mr. Robinson, for not wasting your time.
Branch Rickey ended up having a very special relationship with Jackie. Can you only imagine the fortitude they both had to have to do what was right? Branch once remarked to Jackie,
I think it is safe to say that Jackie Robinson taught America through his grace off of the field just as much, if not more, than on the field.
In today’s times when we may be looking for something to be grateful for, let’s show gratitude for Jackie Robinson and his foresight to look past the ugliness he was experiencing in his life in order to create a pathway to make all of our lives better.
Thank you, Number 42!
When we hear April 15, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? I bet that like me and many others… you think taxes.
A note from your accountant (not) … With the Coronavirus and the CARES Act, the federal and Missouri governments have pushed the tax deadline to July 15, so if you haven’t filed/paid your 2019 taxes yet, don’t panic! Also, don’t panic because this blog is not about taxes!
Does April 15 have any other significance to you?
Like many St. Louisans, I am a passionate baseball fan and I have deeply missed Opening Day. The roar of the crowd, the excitement, the Clydesdales (for goodness sake), and the hope that maybe this will again be the year for our Cardinals.
If you are also a baseball enthusiast, you may know that on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he made his epic and historic debut into Major League Baseball. Each year, this is celebrated by all of the ballplayers in the major leagues wearing his renowned number 42. Furthermore, April 15 is the only time the number 42 is allowed to be worn in the Major Leagues. Also, each stadium has retired the number 42 and has it displayed somewhere in the stadium.
For some fun background... The idea of wearing the number 42 came from a kid, or should I say “The Kid” Ken Griffey Jr., who played for a variety of teams in the Majors, and on a personal note was one of my all-time favorites to watch. “The Kid” called up Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Baseball at that time, and asked Mr. Selig if he could wear the number 42 on April 15 in honor of Mr. Robinson. After a bit of thought, Bud Selig told Ken he would like every player to wear Jackie’s number on this day as long as his wife, Rachel Robinson, agreed with the idea.
Ken Griffey’s kid-like reply was... and I quote, “The more the merrier!” And that is how Jackie Robinson Day and the honoring of the doors he opened and the stereotypes he shattered came into existence for us all.
Sadly, on April 15, 2020, there was no baseball and no wearing of the number 42 on every major leaguer’s back as a tribute to Jackie.
There has been so much lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I wanted to use this opportunity for each of you reading this blog to allow the legacy of Jackie Robinson to be brought back up to the surface regardless of the absence of baseball. Please use this as an opportunity to share the relevance and significance Mr. Robinson had on us all on a personal and societal level. Take time to reflect, teach, learn and grow through his actions and behaviors in overcoming gigantic obstacles that included, but were not limited to, just plain hatred.
Branch Rickey ended up having a very special relationship with Jackie. Can you only imagine the fortitude they both had to have to do what was right? Branch once remarked to Jackie,
“It is not the honor you will take with you, but the heritage you leave behind!”
In today’s times when we may be looking for something to be grateful for, let’s show gratitude for Jackie Robinson and his foresight to look past the ugliness he was experiencing in his life in order to create a pathway to make all of our lives better.
Thank you, Number 42!
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives!” -Jackie Robinson
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