Jackie Robinson Day preview (4/15/16)
Luis Severino (0-1, 5.40 ERA) and Nathan Karns (0-1, 7.20 ERA) get the honors of being on the mound for Jackie Robinson Day. Severino gave up a career high 10 hits in his season debut against the Tigers. He allowed 3 runs and struckout 5 while walking none. His bats were nowhere to be found so he came away with the loss. This will be his first time facing the Mariners. Karns, who went to the Mariners in a November trade with the Rays, took the loss in his Mariners debut. He gave up 4 runs on 7 hits through 5 innings while walking 1 and K-ing 6. He is 1-0 with a 2.91 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 10 walks in 4 career starts against the Yanks. Speaking of Robinson, Robinson Cano will, of course, be returning to the Bronx in this series. Despite being 3 years removed from the team, he still expects the boos.
"I understand," Cano said. "I agree with them. I'm not there anymore. It's not like you're going to cheer for someone on the opposing team the way you'd cheer for one of your guys. I have fun with it. I don't have any complaints about Yankees fans. They remember me and supported me, and it's something I'm always going to appreciate."
While it may be a hostile environment for him now, he still knows it's a special place.
"That ballpark is one of the ballparks where, as soon as you walk in the parking lot, you know you're going to Yankee Stadium," Cano said. "The dimensions, the differences. As soon as you walk in, you know you're going to play baseball, and you want to play baseball. You know you're playing to win. Now it's a bit different, it's more modern, but the old one, it gave you the feeling of playing in the same place as all those superstars, Hall of Famers that played in that stadium."
Today marks 69 years since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by stepping onto Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His number was retired across the league in 1997, a first in any professional sports league. The league started recognizing the day in 2004 and each player, coach and manager celebrates by wearing number 42. To honor the 13th annual celebration, MLB announced Tuesday that they have increased its financial commitment to the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The two organizations will expand their programmatic partnership beginning this year. MLB will be funding 30 four-year JRF scholarships, one for each team, and contribute $1 million to the Jackie Robinson Museum project. Commissioner Rob Manfred said,
"Jackie Robinson inspired change throughout the National Pastime and society. Major League Baseball and its Clubs have long been proud to support the Jackie Robinson Foundation, recognizing the Foundation's important role in perpetuating Jackie's legacy by advancing education. MLB's expanded commitment reflects a shared desire to inspire and broaden opportunities for young people in our communities to truly reflect Jackie's vision for our American society and positively impact future generations."
Tidbits: Karns is 0-0 with a 2.31 ERA at Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez needs 4 more runs to become the 12th player in franchise history with 1,000 with the team. Severino is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at Yankee Stadium 7:05 pm on Yes.