Jackie Robinson is an American legend. In 1947, while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he broke MLB’s color barrier and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Having played his entire career with Brooklyn, it’s understandable that New York City would want to honor him by naming a street after him. What isn’t easy to understand is how they could possibly spell his name wrong on that sign. That’s exactly what happened, though.
When the sign was made, the ‘c’ in Jackie Robinson was missing. Nobody who made the sign or installed the sign bothered to look or say anything about the pretty obvious spelling error.
Even if Robinson wasn’t famous, Jackie is the standard spelling of his first name. His is incredibly famous, though, even to this day.
Today, Jackie Robinson is celebrated throughout baseball. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Robinson’s number 42 is retired throughout baseball and is only worn on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15th. That’s the date he broke the color barrier.
The mistake led to a lot of criticism of the New York City DOT. For its part, the New York City DOT said it will fix the mistake immediately.
“That’s just government,” Queens waitress Aurora Terranova told The New York Post. “Most of the time s–t just goes wrong because of stupidity or oversightedness. That’s really what it comes down to.”
Bubba Wallace Honored Jackie Robinson
On Jackie Robinson Day in 2022, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace decided to honor the icon of American sports. This goes to show that even 50 years after his death, Robinson still has the ability to inspire people.
“75 years,” Wallace tweeted. “He paved the path for the path for many, he was the ultimate trailblazer.”