1997 baseball roundup - African American baseball players - Illustration

THANKS to a major scheduling change, agreements between players and management, and a year-long tribute to Jackie Robinson, the 1997 baseball season could become one of the most memorable in the game's history.

Now that there is labor peace and no threat of a strike, Major League Baseball officials have taken a huge step to generate more interest in the game. For the, first time, American League and National League teams will play each other during the regular season, creating such matchups as the Chicago Cubs against the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets against the world champion New York Yankees.

This also will be the first time there will be revenue-sharing among ownership and a luxury tax will be placed on big-spending, big-market teams. But perhaps this season will be remembered most as the year that Major League Baseball, Inc. and each individual team pay special recognition to Jackie Robinson to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his entry into Major League Baseball. He broke the big-league color barrier in the modern era when he played his first game as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field against the Boston Braves. "It [Robinson's breakthrough] is still baseball's proudest moment, and I believe it will always be baseball's proudest moment," says Acting Commissioner Bud Selig. "Should it have come earlier? Certainly. There never should have been a barrier."

Robinson opened the doors for African-Americans who continue to reap the rewards of his difficult journey. But his efforts have not been forgotten by players like Barry Larkin, the 1995 National League MVP, who says simply: "Thank you, Jackie Robinson, for standing up with dignity."