Celebrate Jackie Robinson Day at Target Field

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
-- Jackie Robinson

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson stood at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947. His bravery, determination and talent ended racial segregation in baseball and paved the way for many African-American greats to come.

Each and every Major League Baseball player, manager, and coach will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day today by donning his retired No. 42.

You haven't missed the main event however, as it has been rescheduled due to rain in New York. Before the Yankees take on the Chicago Cubs in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon, Robinson's wife Rachel, his daughter Sharon, Commissioner Bud Selig and others will honor the American icon's career and life.

Hosting the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field this evening to kick off a three-game series that will bring their nine-game homestand to a close, the Minnesota Twins will pay tribute to Robinson with "Celebrate Diversity Day". Pregame at the ballpark includes local musical and cultural performances and Jackie Robinson essay winners will be presented with their awards.

Meanwhile, the Twins are back at .500 baseball after being swept by the Oakland Athletics and sweeping the Kansas City Royals. The two series pretty much canceled each other out. Near the top of the American League in runs scored, they continue to hit the crap out of the ball and seriously surprise their fans in that regard. Twins hitters are also showing an immense amount of patience at the plate, drawing an AL-leading 59 walks over their first 12 games. On the other hand, they've also struck out 112 times.

Minnesota pitching is still a little dicey to say the least. They're third-worst in all of baseball with a combined 5.17 ERA and 63 earned runs allowed, just four fewer than they've scored offensively. They do seem to be on a small roll with three consecutive quality starts, though. Let's see if Phil Hughes can last six innings when he takes the mound against fellow right-hander Brandon Morrow at 7:10pm tonight.

Send love letters and hate mail to babeslovebaseball@gmail.com and like Sooze! on Facebook for instant access to new articles, photos and more.