Why #42?

On Jackie Robinson Day (April 15) an AP community member asked a great question, “Why was he [Jackie Robinson] number 42 when the numbers for a team were only 1 to 9 at that time?”

We’ve found the answer to “why No. 42”…

Robinson was simply issued No. 42 as a matter of course by equipment manager John Griffin upon his arrival in Brooklyn a day before the 1947 season. Robinson wasn’t the first or the last player to wear the famous jersey for the Dodgers. In 1939, George Jeffcoat did so when he pitched in only one game. And long after Robinson retired, it was issued again to Ray Lamb, a pitcher from the University of Southern California. But Lamb was so uncomfortable wearing the number in 1969 that he gave it up when the season ended.

After that, it was never worn again by a Dodgers player, and it was retired by the club in 1972, a decade after Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame.

DID YOU KNOW:
The idea of “un-retiring” Robinson’s number for a day belongs to Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey personally petitioned the Commissioner for the opportunity to wear it. He didn’t know what he was starting.

“It’s just my way of giving that man [Jackie Robinson] his due respect,” Griffey said at the time. “I just called Bud [Bud Selig, Baseball commissioner] and asked him if I could do it. He made a couple of phone calls and said, ‘Yeah.’ We had a good conversation. It was about me wearing it on that day, and only that day.”

Selig enjoyed the feel of it so much he now wants to blanket big league fields with all those No. 42s dancing across America.

“I think it’s great,” the Commissioner said. “Just their understanding of history and what that man did for so many people is so important. Believe me, it makes me very happy.”

sourced from Jackie Robinson official website.