Francisco Lindor pens emotional message on Jackie Robinson Day showcasing full gear to honor No.42
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor celebrated MLB's Jackie Robinson Day by sporting custom-made gear in honor of the baseball legend who was the first to break the color barrier in the game.
Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15th, 1947. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year honors that season before winning the National League MVP two years later. As the first person of color to play professional baseball, Robinson continued to advocate for more players of color to join the MLB until his death at the age of 53 in 1972.
In 1997, the MLB declared his jersey no. 42 being retired league-wide. Twelve years later, they also decided to celebrate April 15th annually as Jackie Robinson Day, with all players sporting the same jersey number.
Francisco Lindor of the Mets took it one step forward with customized gear in celebration of the Hall of Famer. Lindor's gloves consisted of cuttings of baseball cards from the past that feature the record-setting figure. The outside part of the gloves had Robinson's major achievements along with his picture.
His custom brown cleats consisted of the #42 and a big 'Thank you' on one of the bands and Jackie's name on another. The Mets shortstop took to Instagram to unveil the gear with Rawlings Sports and, in a subsequent post, penned down an emotional message.
"Thank you Jackie for breaking barriers and inspiring generations. We play with purpose because of you #42," Lindor wrote.
Francisco Lindor accepts responsibility for loss due to glaring error
Unfortunately for Lindor, the new gear didn't bring him luck as in the third inning of the game, with one out remaining the Mets infielder booted a ball while trying to field a groundball.
The error led to a run, and Carlos Correa further added the damage with another RBI single, giving the Twins a crucial 2-1 win.
"Today, my eyes got a little blurry because of the weather, but it’s unacceptable. What’s happening right now is unacceptable," Lindor explained after the game. "I gotta be better. It's not to the standards the Mets have, it's definitely not to the standard I have for myself. It's been two games already that cost the team. Gotta get better for sure."
Despite their sixth loss of the season Mets remain at the top of the NL East with an 11-6 record. After their series decider against the Twins, they host the St. Louis Cardinals for a four-game series.