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NEW YORK -- Marking the 67th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke baseballs colour barrier, the Rev. Jesse Jackson praised Commissioner Bud Selig for the strides the sport has taken in minority opportunities over the past two decades. Jackson travelled to baseballs 1992 winter meetings to criticize its lack of minorities in management, and he pushed for change. Selig retired Robinsons No. 42 in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of the big league debut of the Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman. Selig established a Diverse Business Partners program the following year and in 1999 started requiring clubs to consider at least one minority for each manager and major executive opening. MLB also sponsors 35 Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars. Jackson said Jackie Robinson Day had become "a national holiday for all practical purposes." "To honour Jackie in this way honours the best in America," Jackson told Selig on Tuesday at MLBs third Diversity Business Summit. "In many ways, had Jackie not succeeded you could not have Atlanta Falcons or the Braves or the Carolina Panthers. You could not have these southern teams if Jackie had failed." Robinsons daughter, Sharon, presented Selig with a large plaque. Jackson spoke from the audience after Seligs speech and told him "you took to heart that challenge." "I guess if youre commissioner long enough, things can turn around," Selig said later. For the first time since Robinsons number was retired, no players in the major leagues were wearing No. 42. Players using the number were grandfathered at the time of Seligs announcement, and the last to use No. 42 was Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera, who retired at the end of last season. "Today all of our players league-wide will wear No. 42 to celebrate the man who helped change the future course of our game and more importantly our country," Selig said. A ceremony had been scheduled for Yankee Stadium to unveil a plaque commemorating Nelson Mandelas visit to the old Bronx ballpark in 1990. The Yankees game against the Chicago Cubs was rained out, and the ceremony, which includes Zondwa Mandela, a grandson of the late South African president, was pushed back until Wednesday evening. Selig frequently points out that Robinsons first game occurred more than a year before President Harry Truman desegregated the U.S. military and seven years before the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled state laws requiring segregated public schools were unconstitutional. "Baseball must continue to be more than just a game on the field," Selig said. "The games remarkable ability to serve as a common bond should be used to create opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender." Selig became acting commissioner in 1992 and got the job permanently in 1998. He plans to retire in January. He said the Diverse Business Partners program had led to purchases of more than $1 billion in goods and services from minority- and women-owned businesses. But the percentage of African-American players in the major leagues has been cut in half since peaking at about 18 per cent at times from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon, who is black, says some of this generations players dont know of Robinsons accomplishments. "They dont know a lot about the history, and I dont really blame it all on them. I think their generation is a generation that was force-fed these things," he said, holding up a smart phone. "Everythings now. Not much of an appreciation for the past and what it meant, particularly when it comes to baseball and baseball players. The paths that were paved for them, I dont think they really get it, or really understand it." Dalvin Cook Youth Jersey . Grilli hasnt pitched since straining his left oblique in late April. Manager Clint Hurdle says the right-hander will make a couple of appearances in middle relief before the team determines whether to return Grilli to the back end of the bullpen. Adrian Peterson Jersey . The Ravens werent about to let it happen again. Carleton picked up its fourth straight national mens basketball title, and 10th in the last 12 years, with a 79-67 victory over its crosstown rival on Sunday. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Yout...Vikings-Jersey/. Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. Mike Hughes Youth Jersey . Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Brett Favre Vikings Jersey . Brad Malone had the other goal for the Monsters (1-1-0), while Elliott chipped in an assist for a three-point night and the games first star. Bryan Lerg also had two assists. Corban Knight and Max Reinhart scored for the Heat (1-1-0), who opened their season Friday with a 5-2 win over the Monsters in Cleveland.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Two unexpected heroes keyed the Cincinnati Reds move to catch the division leaders. Alfredo Simon moved into a tie for the National League lead with his 11th win and Billy Hamilton homered as the Reds snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. Simon was a replacement in the rotation for Mat Latos, who missed the first two months of the season. The right-hander has never thrown more than 115 2-3 innings in his career. He has 110 with 77 games left in the season, "Every time I go out, I just try to do my best," the 33-year old said. "I keep trying to put zeroes on the board. Ive never had 11 wins before but my arm is like a 20-year old." Before a crowd of 42,120, Cincinnatis fifth sellout of the season, Simon helped the Reds take a 2-0 lead in the third inning. He lined a single with one out, and Hamilton followed on the next pitch with a 344-foot home run into the visitors bullpen down the right field line. It was the fifth of the season for Junes National League Rookie of the Month. Hamilton hit just six homers at Triple-A Louisville last season, his first full season as a switch hitter. "Hamilton took advantage of one of the few mistakes Kyle Lohse made," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It is not just the home runs. It is the evolution of the player that is impressive. Hes done a lot of things we didnt know that he was able to do this soon in his career." Hamilton guessed right on Lohses pitch selection. "He threw me some changeups my first time up," Hamilton said. "I was looking for one that time. Home runs are surprises. It just happens. I put the same swing on every pitch." Hamilton saved Simon with a leaping catch off the bat of Ryan Braun, leading off the sixth. "The guys take a lot of pride in their defence," Price said. "A lot of them want to win Gold Gloves." Skip Schumaker and Joey Votto had run-scoring doubles for the Reds, who were coming off being swept in a three-game series at San Diego. Simon (11-3), making his career-high 17th start, overcame Jonathan Lucroys home run to move into a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and the Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in wins. The Central Division-leading Brewers dropped their fourth straight, matching their longest losing streak of the season. Simon allowed six hits and two runs with two walks, three strikeouts and a wild pitch in 7 1-3 innings to improve to 5-0 over his lastt seven starts.dddddddddddd. Jonathan Broxton got the final two outs of the eighth and Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 17th save. Lohse (9-3) lasted five innings, allowing four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits with eight strikeouts and one walk while picking up his first loss in five starts since June 6. He was 2-0 over his previous four starts. "He threw a bad pitch to Hamilton, a changeup," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Were making some bad pitches to Hamilton and hes not missing them. Kyle did some things right. He mixed speeds. His pitch count got up fast, but I didnt think he was that bad." The Reds scored as many runs in that span of two batters as they totalled against the Padres. They made it 3-0 in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Devin Mesoraco and Schumaker. Mesoraco was robbed of a home run by centre fielder Carlos Gomez, who went high above the wall in deep right-centre and almost pulled off a highlight-reel catch before settling for keeping the ball in play. Lyle Overbays error set up Cincinnatis fourth run. The first baseman couldnt corral Todd Fraziers spinning chopper with one out in the fifth inning, and Frazier scored all the way from first on Vottos double into the left field corner. The Brewers broke up the shutout in the seventh, which Simon started by hitting Aramis Ramirez, who moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Jean Seguras single. Lucroy knocked Simon out of the game in the eighth with his ninth homer of the season, a 374-foot drive to right-centre that bounced off the top of the wall and into the stands. Simon came into the game with the ninth-lowest ERA in the league and lowered it to 2.78 with the win. "I have the numbers for the All-Star team but its not up to me," Simon said. NOTES: Simons previous career high in starts was 16 for Baltimore in 2011. ... The Reds won their second straight game in front of a sellout crowd after losing their first three this season. ... Milwaukee recalled OF Logan Schafer from Triple-A Nashville on Friday. Schafer, who was optioned on June 13, had travel problems that delayed his arrival at Great American Ball Park, but he was in time to start in left field. ... Reds OF Jay Bruce extended his streak of consecutive hitless at-bats to 20, surpassing his previous career high of 19. ... The Reds opened their busiest home stand of the season. They are scheduled to play 11 games in 10 days, including a doubleheader against the Cubs on Tuesday created by a rainout. ' ' '