April 15 is the day baseball fans fill their favorite ballparks with anticipation, eager to watch as players all wearing the number 42 honor the legacy of baseball’s most significant pioneer, Jackie Robinson.
This year, stadiums and parks everywhere are still shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, so players are finding different ways to honor Robinson.
For White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, that meant joining a video call with members of the White Sox Amateur City Elite program.
Anderson was joined by White Sox play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti for a Q&A with over 10 ACE members Tuesday afternoon. Anderson fielded questions from Benetti and the young players about how he’s staying mentally and physically strong during this time, and about how Robinson’s life inspires his journey on the diamond.
Anderson spoke about Robinson’s legacy, what wearing the No. 42 means to him and how he plans to personally lead the next generation of African American baseball players.
“[I] just use it as motivation, the things that he went through,” Anderson said. “We know all the negative things that he went through. So, just being thankful for the moment and for him paving the way for us as well. [I] continue to go out and continue to have fun with it. There’s not really many black kids in the league, so who is going to do it? Who is going to motivate these kids? Who is going to inspire them? So, that’s something that I take pride in, and I definitely always look forward to wearing 42.”
