From Jack Harris: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Robinson’s legacy is as important now as it has ever been. And on Tuesday, as the guest speaker at the Dodgers’ annual celebration of Jackie Robinson Day, he made the reason he believes so abundantly clear.

MLB officially retired Robinson's No. 42 jersey across the sport in 1997 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his big league debut. Griffey was given permission to don the number for the Seattle Mariners, flipping from his usual No. 24, for a game against Cleveland on April 15, 1997.