Marlins host 2023 Jackie Robinson Classic

There were a lot of nerves prior to Wednesday night’s matchup between local high school baseball teams South Broward and Piper at loanDepot park. South Broward’s Shaun Shapiro felt them while hitting in the cage. Piper’s Traves Knowles felt them thinking of the larger crowd and ground to cover in center field.

South Broward defeated Piper, 10-5, in the second annual Jackie Robinson Classic presented by Nike, thanks to sophomore catcher Thomas Giltner, who went 3-for-4 with five RBIs. 

“One thing that Jackie meant for a lot of us, Jackie showed us courage to be able to perform under pressure, the courage to perform when you have the world watching,” said retired big leaguer Charles Johnson, who was on hand. “A few of the players were asking me about playing in the Major Leagues, and they get a chance to get the feeling on a baseball field. I wish I had an opportunity, I told them, to play on a Major League Baseball field when I was younger. It gives them something to look forward to, to be able to play on this field one day. Hopefully playing out here will inspire them to work harder to be back here one day.”

The student-athletes wore customized Marlins shirts with the No. 42 on the back along with one of Robinson’s nine values as they took the field with students and bands from both schools in attendance. Everyone received a hot dog, chips and soda or water courtesy of JP Morgan.

“I actually wore No. 42 for Jackie,” Shapiro said. “He and Mariano Rivera were the first two people I ever got introduced to in baseball, so I wear No. 42 for him. It’s incredible how he changed the game of baseball so that everyone can play.”

Wednesday’s game was just the beginning of the Marlins’ efforts to celebrate the life and legacy of the Hall of Famer and civil rights activist. The organization plans to host Jackie Robinson Day and a South Florida Black Legacy Celebration on Saturday at loanDepot park, commemorating the impact that Robinson and local community leaders have had on society as advocates for civil rights and equality.

• Piper’s team and band will return Saturday.

“I will tell you that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my boys,” Piper principal Marie Hautigan said. “Baseball has been a community for them. To be able to come to the Marlins’ loanDepot park and experience everything that the Major Leagues has to offer is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I talked to the boys yesterday. They were in disbelief. They could not believe what was going to happen was going to happen.”

• With help from Morgan Stanley Global Sports Entertainment, recognition of the mentors and mentees of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project from two of the Miami Marlins Foundation Slugger Schoolhouses presented by PNC Bank: Lenora B. Smith Elementary and Poinciana Park Elementary. Students will greet fans at the gates holding signs with Robinson’s 9 Values To Live By, and they will later take the field with the Marlins’ starting lineup.

• A presentation of the 2022 Miami Marlins Jackie Robinson Award (Employees of the Year)

• Pregame recognition of the two alumni of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence program, who were the recipients of the FIU Marlins/5000 Role Models of Excellence Scholarship. 

• Bryce Pendleton, a student at the University of Miami and a Jackie Robinson Foundation Legacy Scholar, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

• The South Florida Black Legacy Celebration presented by JP Morgan will honor local legacy makers. With each ticket package featuring a commemorative Marlins South Florida Black Legacy Celebration jersey, a portion of the proceeds will benefit multiple local African-American nonprofit organizations. The 2023 honorees will be recognized during a pregame ceremony.