-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, shows off his #42 jersey in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, with his #42 jersey in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, sports special shoes and socks in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, sports special shoes and socks in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, sits in the dugout on Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
-
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star, with his #42 jersey and shoes in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to their game against the Dodgers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Greene is scheduled to pitch Saturday. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES ― One of baseball’s most vocal advocates for continuing Jackie Robinson’s legacy will be starting for the opposing team on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is just 22, yet he has embraced the challenge of being one of the most visible Black faces in baseball.
Greene was drafted second overall out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks in 2017. As a youth, he participated in the MLB-sponsored Urban Youth Academy in Compton. At age 13 Greene was the winner of a nationwide essay contest in which he described how he used Jackie Robinson’s values to face his own barriers in life, affording him the chance to meet Robinson’s daughter, Rachel.
“To touch on Jackie’s legacy, what he endured as a player, as a man, it’s unbelievable,” Greene said. “To see the grace he played with every day on the field, the amazing teammate he was – I always get emotional talking about Jackie.
“To be here at Dodger Stadium for the 75th anniversary is pretty special.”
Greene has already staged multiple baseball camps for youth in Southern California and Cincinnati. The impetus for these camps was Greene’s own experience at the Urban Youth Academy, where participants are exposed to coaching from former major league players.
Greene believes this exposure is key to getting more Black youth involved in baseball in the future. The share of major leaguers who identify as Black has dwindled steadily since peaking in the 1970s, now reportedly below 8%.
“The most important thing is giving those kids that opportunity,” Greene said. “There’s a lot of kids out there, that’s all they need to take off and succeed. The more opportunities we can give to black kids, we’ll continue to see the numbers improve.”
Greene said he could fill half an hour emptying his full reservoir of ideas for increasing Black participation in Major League Baseball. But he has yet to discuss them with anyone from the league.
Saturday marks Greene’s second major league start. He debuted Sunday in Atlanta and was the winning pitcher in the Reds’ 6-3 victory over the Braves.
ALSO
Dodgers pitcher Caleb Ferguson (Tommy John rehabilitation) is expected to throw a simulated game in Rancho Cucamonga in the coming days, Manager Dave Roberts said. Ferguson is on track to return to the Dodgers’ active roster around the second week of May, after right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle (Tommy John rehab) and before left-handed reliever Victor Gonzalez (left elbow inflammation).
UP NEXT
Reds (RHP Hunter Greene, 1-0, 5.40 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias, 0-1, 13.50 ERA), Saturday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM
Special day, special place.@HunterGreene17 | #JackieRobinsonDay pic.twitter.com/Rr2hQOinnu
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 16, 2022
Happy Jackie Robinson Day
I need a ROLL CALL! All the African American boys and girls around the United States, I’m calling on you and your leagues to flood my account today by showing your faces or team photo (no video please). Show you exist and want to play baseball! pic.twitter.com/NJBFXjCAGC
— Hunter Greene (@HunterGreene17) April 15, 2022
“It was a dream … Jackie Robinson is my favorite player. The history, being able to see his daughter, that was really cool.”
In 2013, @HunterGreene17 won the Breaking Barriers essay award presented by Sharon Robinson.
Today, he continues to pave the way in @mlb . #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/BkJwfYGPeB
— MLBRBI (@MLBRBI) April 15, 2022
from Signage https://ift.tt/TDON8ni
via Irvine Sign Company
