by Cary Osborne

Baseball great Reggie Smith lived a dream.

The Boston Red Sox outfielder returned to his home, Los Angeles, to play in the East-West Major League Classic at Dodger Stadium on March 28, 1970.

The exhibition — a tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — included some of baseball’s greatest heroes. Fifteen would eventually gain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ernie Banks, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Johnny Bench to name a few.

Jackie Robinson was a guest at the game, and Smith met him.

After the game, Smith flew back east to rejoin his team. Robinson happened to be on the flight, seated in the aisle next to Smith.

“I’m sitting next to my boyhood hero. The man who made it possible for me to even be here is on this plane sitting next to me,” Smith recalled. “And he knew my name. He knew who I was. That was some kind of special — something that I knew that I would take with me the rest of my life.”

Fifty-four years later, Smith received a phone call from Dodger manager Dave Roberts.

Reggie Smith speaks on Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Smith, one of Roberts’ heroes, was asked to be one of the central figures in what has become an annual tradition. Dodger players, coaches and staff have gathered in front of the Jackie Robinson statue in Centerfield Plaza each year on Jackie Robinson Day since 2021. Roberts spoke alone in 2021. Jackie’s son, David, spoke in 2022. Last season, it was Jason Heyward when the Dodgers invited their opponents that day, the Chicago Cubs, to join them in a show of solidarity.

On Monday, a series of speakers all contributed to this year’s emotional event.

Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO and former Jackie Robinson scholar Nichol Whiteman first spoke of gratitude. Roberts spoke of perseverance. Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez spoke of Robinson’s transcendent impact that also lifted Latino baseball players. Smith spoke of Robinson’s influence. Finally, Civil Rights activist Dr. Harry Edwards spoke about the legendary Dodger’s societal significance.

Ayo Robinson, Jackie and Rachel Robinson’s granddaughter, listened to the words of all the speakers at the Jackie Robinson statue.

“To know that there are people out there who persevered and are here today to speak and I have the honor of sitting and being able to listen to their words means a lot,” Ayo said. “It means I’m alive. It means I made it. It means that we’re out here together still trying to do good things.”

Magic Johnson took part in pregame ceremonies on Monday. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Smith, now 79 years old, is statistically one of the greatest switch hitters in Major League history. He is one of seven switch-hitters all time with 300 home runs and 2,000 hits. He was a seven-time All-Star and a member of the 1981 World Series champion Dodgers.

Another one of the special moments in his career happened on June 15, 1976, when the St. Louis Cardinals traded him to the Dodgers.

“I tell people I was a Dodger before I became Dodger, growing up here in LA and the fact that this is your favorite team because of Jackie,” Smith said. “So I got to come home in the prime of my career when my folks got to see me play when I was at my best. I was wearing my boyhood idol’s uniform.”

Robinson means perseverance, transcendence, influence was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.