On April 15, the Minnesota Twins had their Jackie Robinson Celebration Game, a day in commemoration of the legendary Jackie Robinson being the first black individual to play in Major League Baseball (MLB), breaking the decades of segregation that came before. In memory of Robinson, it is tradition for all players from both teams to dress in an iconic #42 jersey. This is due to Robinson being one of only three players with their numbers retired throughout all of the MLB, as well as Robinson being the premier catalyst of integration between the MLB and Negro League Baseball.
With Wahawk Journalism making their trip up to Minneapolis for the National High School Journalism Convention, members of Wahawk Insider and Yearbook Staff had the privilege of watching and taking photos of the iconic game itself. “It was super cool to get down to the field really close with all my friends that do not typically get to share that type of experience at a baseball game,” said Sports and News Editor Jacob Melcher, “it was super nice being around friends who want to know how to produce something different like sports compared to the coverage we normally produce”.
In addition to being a team bonding experience, Online Co-Editor-in-Chief Jacy Gomez mentions the experience as a positive opportunity to better the program as journalists, stating, “I feel like having the opportunity to get into that space, like an MLB game with a camera in my hands, it’s like a privilege. A lot of the time, we don’t get the opportunity.“
While most involved never had the prior chance to experience a Jackie Robinson Celebration Game, Yearbook staffer Cali Cook had the chance to go three years prior, on April 15, 2023, to the Atlanta Braves vs. the Kansas City Royals Jackie Robinson Celebration Game with a win from the Braves against the Royals 9-3. “It was such a wonderful experience, because that was my first time at a pro baseball game, and it generally made me realize what I wanted to do as a person.” Cook mentioned, “I want to pursue a career in sports like media and communications, talking to people, interviewing, because that environment is just such a lovable environment, seeing everybody happy no matter who won the game.”
The Twins ended up losing to the Boston Red Sox after a late rally against reliever Ryan Watson of the Red Sox, scoring four runs, but came up short in a 9-5 loss. Although they lost the battle, they had won the war, beating the Sox in the three-game series 2-1 for their third series win in a row.
