This Sunday marks the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. The historic day was the beginning of Robinson’s 10-year Hall of Fame career with the Dodgers. After playing baseball, football, basketball and track at UCLA, Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League in 1945 before being secretly signed to a contract by Dodgers owner Branch Rickey on October 23, 1945.

In only his second Spring Training appearance – after one year of seasoning with the Montreal Royals in 1946 – Robinson earned a spot on the 1947 Dodgers and the rest is history. As political as any figure in sports history, Robinson was able to "turn the other cheek" amidst racial discrimination, winning National League Rookie of the Year honors – hitting .297 with 14 home runs, 48 runs batted in, 125 runs scored and 29 stolen bases in 1947.

From 1947-1956, Robinson played in six World Series (1947, 1949, 1952, 1955 and 1956) – all against the New York Yankees – winning it all in 1955. Robinson was a six-time NL All-Star and was named National League MVP in 1949 – hitting .342 with 16 home runs, 124 runs batted, 122 runs scored and 37 stolen bases.

During his 10-year career, Robinson hit .311 with 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in, 947 runs scored and 197 stolen bases – playing 748 games at second base, 256 games at third base, 197 games at first base, 162 games in the outfield and one game at shortstop. Of Robinson’s 203 regular and postseason steals, 19 were of home plate – the most by any player since World War II.

Robinson’s final game was Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 10, 1956, in a loss against the Yankees at Ebbets Field. In 1962, Robinson became the first African-American elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 124 of 160 votes (77.5 percent). Jack Roosevelt Robinson died on Oct. 24, 1972 at 53 years old.

On the 50th anniversary (April 15, 1997) of the Civil Rights pioneer’s first game, Major League Baseball permanently retired Robinson’s No. 42. The only active player who wears No. 42 is Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. But this weekend, on the 60th anniversary, players from coast-to-coast will sport the No. 42 as a tribute to Robinson’s achievements. The idea came from Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who called Commissioner Bud Selig to request permission to wear the number.

"It’s just my way of giving that man his due respect," said Griffey. "I just called Bud and asked him if I could do it. He made a couple of phone calls and said, ‘Yeah.’ We had a good conversation. It was about me wearing it on that day, and only that day."

On Sunday, the Padres and Dodgers face off in an NL West division rivalry rubber game. San Diego giant right-hander Chris Young takes his 1-0 record and 2.13 ERA against L.A. lefty Randy Wolf’s 1-1 mark and 3.75 ERA at Dodger Stadium. In the field, the entire Dodgers team will be true blue wearing Robinson’s No. 42 jersey.

"Jackie Robinson was a Dodger," said team president and vice chairman Jamie McCourt. "And the most fitting tribute the Dodgers can pay to him is for the entire team to wear his number on the 60th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier."

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