QUOTE
Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, will be honored posthumously with Congress' highest honor, a Congressional Gold Medal, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced.
The honor for the Hall of Famer is \"well-deserved and long overdue,'' said Bob Graziano, the Dodgers' president and chief operating officer.
\"He is such an important part of our franchise's history, our pastime's history and our nation's history,'' Graziano said Friday in a statement. \"Jackie was an extraordinary talent and pioneer and will forever be one of America's treasured symbols.''
Robinson's daughter, Sharon, will accept the award Wednesday in Washington D.C. It is given in recognition of her father's contributions to the cause of equality and civil rights in the United States.
Robinson, who grew up in Pasadena and was a four-sport star at UCLA, made his first appearance in the major leagues on April 15, 1947. He went on to play 10 seasons, all with the Dodgers.
Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his No. 42 on all teams to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his big league debut. He died in 1972.
Since 1776, there have been approximately 300 recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal, including George Washington, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, and boxer Joe Louis.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., grew up six blocks from Ebbets Field, where Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. She and Senators John Kerry, D-Mass., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., co-sponsored the bill that resulted in the honor being bestowed on Robinson.
\"Jackie Robinson was a peerless athlete who excelled in many sports and changed the way that baseball was played,'' Boxer said. \"Even more important, he was a courageous pioneer who overcame tremendous pressure and prejudice to break the color line in Major League Baseball.''
The honor for the Hall of Famer is \"well-deserved and long overdue,'' said Bob Graziano, the Dodgers' president and chief operating officer.
\"He is such an important part of our franchise's history, our pastime's history and our nation's history,'' Graziano said Friday in a statement. \"Jackie was an extraordinary talent and pioneer and will forever be one of America's treasured symbols.''
Robinson's daughter, Sharon, will accept the award Wednesday in Washington D.C. It is given in recognition of her father's contributions to the cause of equality and civil rights in the United States.
Robinson, who grew up in Pasadena and was a four-sport star at UCLA, made his first appearance in the major leagues on April 15, 1947. He went on to play 10 seasons, all with the Dodgers.
Robinson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his No. 42 on all teams to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his big league debut. He died in 1972.
Since 1776, there have been approximately 300 recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal, including George Washington, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, and boxer Joe Louis.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., grew up six blocks from Ebbets Field, where Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. She and Senators John Kerry, D-Mass., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., co-sponsored the bill that resulted in the honor being bestowed on Robinson.
\"Jackie Robinson was a peerless athlete who excelled in many sports and changed the way that baseball was played,'' Boxer said. \"Even more important, he was a courageous pioneer who overcame tremendous pressure and prejudice to break the color line in Major League Baseball.''