HERE'S TO YOU NUMBER 42

I really have nothing to say about yesterday's pitiful loss to the Houston Astros and this team denying Moseley a win by making the Astros starting pitcher look like Cy Young. If you missed it we lost 1-0 in the first game of four at Minute Maid Park.

Hopefully the team will do better today.

I need a break from writing as well today so we will keep it simple with a few thoughts about Number 42.

Today MLB honors a man that had a lot of courage and who we all know broke the color barrier. It kind of makes me ashamed the generation before my parents. Not being a bigot myself I just don't understand how these people could devalue another human being just because of skin color

There were so many great players in the Negro Leagues and Jackie had the courage to go out and play and suffer the abuse of bigots every day.

This man was one in a million- one of those people in history that helps, in their own little way, to change things for the good when we, as humans, are ignorant and just plain stupid like the people who kept back folks out of baseball for so long.

Not only did he change the face of the game but he changed the face of the world. After seeing Jackie my parents generation started waking up and more and more people started to say enough with the deep seeded prejudice in America.

I admire this man so much because I cannot imagine how hard it was for him to take the field every day hearing bigots at Ebbet's Field yelling racial slurs at him. This man held his head up high the whole time and made those who chastised him look like the fools they were.

So as we get ready for today's Padres Game I hope everyone takes a moment to go read about Jackie- especially you kids who see 64 years ago as an eternity away.

Here's to you number 42...we have very few like you these days!

You can click here to visit the Official Jackie Robinson website and read more about him.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A MLB VIDEO WITH PADRE PLAYERS MAYBIN, PATTERSON AND VENABLE TALKING ABOUT NUMBER 42!

Today's game against the Houston astros starts at 5:05pm PT...win one for Jackie Padres!

PLAY BALL!