LOS ANGELES -- A stretch of Interstate 210 was officially named after Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson on Tuesday.
ACR 197, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), created the Jackie Robinson Memorial Highway, stretching 4.2 miles between Gould Ave. and Orange Grove Blvd. in Pasadena, where Robinson was raised.
"Jackie Robinson is not only an inspiring figure to us for his accomplishments in athletics, but also as a civil-rights-era trailblazer who advocated for social change," said Gatto. "His contributions to baseball and society have made an everlasting impression on our nation."
"This is another great honor and tribute to a man who made a major impact on our nation," said Naomi Rodriguez, the Dodgers' vice president of external affairs and community relations. "It is certainly fitting that this stretch of freeway is in Pasadena, where Jackie grew up."
Robinson in 1947 broke the color barrier in MLB when he debuted with the Dodgers. Before becoming a big leaguer, Robinson excelled in basketball, football, baseball and track at John Muir (Pasadena) High School and Pasadena City College. He transferred to UCLA in 1939 and became the first Bruin to letter in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track.