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Today we honor 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball.  In all 15 parks where MLB games are played today, time will be taken to remember this historic milestone.  The biggest celebration, and rightly so, will take place in Chavez Ravine.  That game can be viewed on ESPN Sunday night baseball.

What Jackie Robinson did, especially given the times, took incredible courage.

The burden didn't end by just having the guts to step on the field, he had to excel at the game.  Keith Olbermann has often wondered what would have happened if Robinson had been a bust as a player.  The general consensus is that it would be another 10 years before another black player would get the chance again.

Robinson knew this.  Jon Weisman wrote an excellent article about Jackie Robinson's first game and the concerns he brought into it.  I highly recommend reading the whole thing.

A new era dawns

There is a reason Jackie Robinson is honored every year on April 15th, he was a true hero.