White Sox pay respects to Robinson 75 years after he broke MLB's color barrier
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and second baseman Josh Harrison obviously weren't around 75 years ago when Jackie Robinson broke major-league baseball's color barrier.
On the anniversary of the historic moment Friday, they are both constantly feeling the impact of Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
"It's always special to be able to go out and put 42 on," Anderson said of baseball's annual tribute where every player in uniform wears Robinson's number on the their backs. "It's the guy that paved the way for a guy like me. Just what he brought to the game, he means so much to the game, he means so much to the world, he means so much to the community.
"This is been going on since before I was born so it's super special."
Anderson was always familiar with Robinson, but his knowledge of the Hall of Famer has intensified with each passing season.
"Once I got into the game and the more years I got under my belt into the big leagues, I started understanding it and started soaking it in," Anderson said. "The more aware people are, about how important he is and how much he means to people ... he was a very special man."
Harrison grew up around the game. His uncle, John Shelby, was an outfielder for the Orioles, Dodgers and Tigers for 11 seasons.
"I learned about (Robinson) first-hand," said Harrison, who hopes to be back in the White Sox's lineup Saturday after missing his second straight game with lower back stiffness. "I had a family member that was full representation of what it meant. Where other people might have had to read books, obviously, I read books and do my research, having an uncle who was living proof and here I am now living proof myself, I feel like life experiences are something you can learn a lot from, to go along with the research or the books that you've read."
Like Anderson, Harrison wonders where he'd be without Robinson's skills and courage.
"Respect," the White Sox's 34-year-old infielder said. "A trailblazer. To endure the hardship that he did, you've got to take a step back and be grateful and thankful for what he did because not only myself, but everybody that is represented on this field, we're not playing together if he doesn't take the stand that he does.
"To be able to honor him every year is always something that I take pride in. A lot of people like to say just black or African-American players, but it's not just us that are affected. Latins are affected. Everybody from the States. None of us are playing together if it weren't for Jackie Robinson and what he stood for."
Manager Tony La Russa has met Robinson' wife, Rachel, several times and was a big Jackie fan.
"He broke the barrier when I was getting to be a player, thought about being a player in junior high school, high school," La Russa said. "I was very aware of who he is. The more that you learn about those early days, early years with the taunts and the attempts to intimidate him, that's tremendous courage, toughness to deal with it. He was a very intelligent man. This is a very appropriate day to recognize him."