BAR: Why Reds and rest of MLB will be wearing No. 42

Today's Jackie Robinson Day, and all across baseball we'll see everyone wearing No. 42.

While it seems like this has been going on for a while, it's easy to forget this started in 2007 with a phone call from Ken Griffey Jr. to Bud Selig.

Griffey wanted to wear No. 42 on April 15 to honor the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut, so he called the commissioner to ask if he could do it. After Griffey got permission from both Selig and Rachel Robinson, the opportunity opened up for anyone else who wanted to wear the number.

Griffey was the only Reds player to wear it that day at Wrigley Field along with six Cubs, but it started a movement. By 2009, all teams wore 42.

There have been those critical of the event, but every year I find it special. I tell this story annually, but several years ago, my dad was watching a game on April 15 and my niece noticed everyone wearing the same number and asked why. It gave my dad a chance to tell the Jackie Robinson story and share it all over again. I'm sure that happens at least once a year somewhere, and it's worth it.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP



Triple-A: Louisville 1, Columbus 0; Columbus 1, Louisville 0: SS Eugenio Suarez homered for the Bats' only run in the two games, while Jon Moscot threw 5.2 scoreless in the first game. David Holmberg gave up a run on three hits in 6 innings in Game 2, but got the L. C Tucker Barnhart was 2 for 4. [Box] [Box]

High-A: Charlotte 2, Daytona 0: Nick Travieso gave up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks over 5.2 innings, but the Tortugas managed just two hits to back him. [Box]

Low-A: Dayton 3, South Bend 2: LF Jimmy Pickens was 0 for 4, but was the hero with his walk-off fielder's choice , scoring Aristides Aquino, who doubled to lead off the ninth in a tie game. Aquino advanced on Gavin LaValley's fly out and after a walk, Pickens grounded to first — but it was enough to score the speedy Aquino. [Box]

THE ROTATION

1. A map of some of the odd foodstuffs available at big league parks. None of these work on my diet, unfortunately. It's going to be tough this next week. [Esri]

2. Sad baseball news yesterday — Yasiel Puig is trying to cut down on his bat flips. This gives me all sorts of sads. [Los Angeles Times]

Luckily there's a cure — the KBO:

3. Why do so many NBA teams have a basketball in their logo? [Slate]

4. Worst job of 2015? Newspaper reporter. [CareerCast]

5. Not to out myself as a bigger dork than I already have, but I'm pretty excited to see that much of Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim will be live streamed, including the kickoff tomorrow with J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy. [StarWars.com]