[Baltimore Sun] Aberdeen, Harford Tech baseball recognize life and legacy of Jackie Robinson in pregame ceremony
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Aberdeen and Harford Tech’s baseball teams gathered on the pavement splitting the Eagles football and baseball fields for a pregame ceremony. The two squads stood across from one another, all donning royal blue hats with a white ’42’ on the front. Between them was a microphone to serve as the touchpoint of a day KJ Miller has been planning forever.
This game was originally scheduled for last Friday –– three days before Major League Baseball’s Jackie Robinson Day –– but was postponed to Thursday evening, three days after the anniversary of Robinson’s major league debut in 1947 at Ebbets Field, which broke professional baseball’s color barrier.
Because of Miller’s efforts, a new proclamation was written to officially honor April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day in Harford County. Parents, families and city officials gathered Thursday evening for this ceremony, a first of its kind in the area, that preceded Harford Tech’s 7-1 victory over Aberdeen.
Harford County Deputy Director Terry Hanley, also sporting the custom ’42’ lid, passed around flyers before the event. On one side it listed many of Robinson’s baseball accomplishments. The other pens a thank you to the team and staff who made the event possible.
Below that is a quote from KJ that reads, in part, “There are very few people that I can name who have had more of an impact on my life than Jackie Robinson.”
Among the attentive crowd was KJ’s mom, Alethea, herself wearing a royal blue ’42’ jersey over an Aberdeen baseball T-shirt. She made sure to Zoom in the rest of the family, who couldn’t be in attendance for the rescheduled date.
“I’m so excited and proud,” Alethea said afterward. “This is something that he’s wanted for a very long time. Both of my children are just awesome. Both of them are go-getters and this is something he’s wanted for a long time. It started back in elementary school.”
Miller has had an affinity for Robinson’s story since he was little. His first introduction came through a fourth-grade school project. Alethea credited her sports-enthralled husband for helping their son find Robinson’s story.
With sports comes lessons, she noted. It began simply as a school project, but KJ, who at times growing up was also the only Black player on his baseball teams, found inspiration at all turns from one of the most famous athletes ever. KJ wanted Robinson’s legacy to live on at his soon-to-be alma mater after he departed.
Thursday’s event stamped that dream.
“He uses these lessons to say, ‘I can do this. This can be done. You can’t tell me no,’” Alethea said of her son, who shies away from being the center of attention but jumps at opportunities to make a difference. “He’s always been that way.”
Miller stood proudly off to the side as different speakers rotated center stage. His hands were tucked — pridefully but perhaps a bit nervously — into his back pockets.
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Among the speaker contingent was Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly, who also presented KJ with a written proclamation on behalf of the county government commending his efforts and to offer words at the gathering.
“Since World War II, our country has done a lot to try to bring the races together [for] racial harmony,” Cassilly said. “We gave speeches, passed laws, marches, sit-ins and even riots. But I gotta tell you, for me the most impactful thing that was done was integrating professional sports.”
Cassilly, who was born in Havre de Grace and graduated from Bel Air High, shared memories of growing up a diehard Orioles fan and the inspiration he gleaned from seeing photos of Frank and Brooks Robinson, a Black and white player sharing a last name and the field.
Seeing that, he said, “you couldn’t help but feel impacted by it. From a 6 year old up to 70 year olds, watching that example, that got into your heart no matter your background. Jackie Robinson started that.”
KJ had two goals for this event: ensure he cleared up any misconception that Robinson –– a six-time All-Star, 1947 Rookie of the Year and 1949 National League Most Valuable Player –– was “merely a decent player” and to reignite discourse of his life well lived.
The Aberdeen senior wrapped the ceremony by sharing his favorite Robinson quote: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
KJ tossed out the first pitch and the baseball game began like any other. Although, Thursday night wasn’t about the hits and strikes of this midseason matchup. It was about the fact that they could play today because of Robinson’s heroism.
“Jackie Robinson sacrificed all semblance of a normal, peaceful life,” KJ said, “jeopardized his, and his family’s safety; and was subjected to harassment at levels we couldn’t fathom just so that 77 years later we could play this baseball game.”
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