Bridgeport in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Jackie Robinson

42

Photographed by Sean Flynn

1. Jackie Robinson Marker

Inscription.

• Second Baseman
• Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1956)
• Broke MLB color barrier in 1947
• 1947 Rookie of the Year
• 1949 Most Valuable Player
• Six-time All-Star
• Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1962

No. retired: 1997

Erected by Chicago White Sox.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Baseball Hall of Famers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1947.

Location. 41° 49.841′ N, 87° 38.116′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Bridgeport. It can be reached from the intersection of 35th Street and Shields Avenue. The marker is one of 12 posted on bollards outside of Gate 4 (behind home plate) at Guaranteed Rate Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox baseball team. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 333 West 35th Street, Chicago IL 60616, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western

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World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Billy Pierce (here, next to this marker); Mark Buehrle (here, next to this marker); Frank Thomas (here, next to this marker); Carlton Fisk (here, next to this marker); Ted Lyons (here, next to this marker); Paul Konerko (here, next to this marker); Luis Aparicio (a few steps from this marker); Minnie Miñoso (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. Jackie Robinson's marker is one of 12 dedicated to each of the numbers the Chicago White Sox have retired; Robinson's was retired by Major League Baseball in 1997.

Regarding Jackie Robinson. While he never played a regular-season game at Comiskey Park as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson did make two notable appearances at the stadium in his career. In 1945, while playing for the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs, Robinson was

Guaranteed Rate Field, Gate 4 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 28, 2023

2. Guaranteed Rate Field, Gate 4

The Robinson marker is off-camera to the right, not far from this entrance

selected for the East-West Game, an annual all-star game featuring the top Black players in the country, played at Comiskey. While in town for that game, he met with a scout for the Dodgers, a meeting that eventually led to his signing by the Dodgers later that year. In 1950, Robinson appeared in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game as the starting second baseman. Batting cleanup, he was 1 for 4 before being removed for a pinch-hitter.

Major League Baseball retired Robinson's #42 at the beginning of the 1997 season, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier in baseball. The last White Sox player to wear 42 was Scott Ruffcorn, a right-handed pitcher who had been the White Sox's first-round draft pick (25th overall) in 1991. Ruffcorn wore three other numbers in several big-league stints, wearing 42 only for his 1996 season. His career ended after the 1997 season with a career 0-8 record and an ERA of 8.57.

Also see . . .
1. Jackie Robinson career stats (Baseball Reference). (Submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. National Baseball Hall of Fame: Jackie Robinson.

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) image. Click for full size.

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, April 15, 1947

3. Jackie Robinson (1919-1972)

A photograph of Jackie Robinson at his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, on April 15, 1947.

(Submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 262 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.