Macon Bacon Retire Jackie Robinson’s Number ’42’ Jersey for “Decades Night”

The Macon Bacon retired the number 42 on the left center wall of Luther Williams Field Friday night

MACON, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – In a first for the franchise, the Macon Bacon retired a jersey number Thursday night, and it was a number known across the world: 42.

As part of “Decades Night” at historic Luther Williams Field, the team honored the late, great Jackie Robinson by retiring his iconic number in a pregame ceremony, celebrating his trailblazing legacy in American baseball. A commemorative No. 42 was unveiled on the left-center field wall to mark the occasion.

Macon Bacon President and part-owner Brandon Raphael led the ceremony, joined by members of the organization and local youth from the Macon RBI baseball program. Together, they recounted the life and accomplishments of Robinson, the Georgia native who famously broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947.

Every Macon Bacon player wore Robinson’s No. 42 embroidered on vintage-style pinstripe jerseys in his honor for the night’s matchup against the Catawba Valley Stars.

Despite the emotional and meaningful pregame ceremony, the Bacon struggled to find momentum on the field. Both teams engaged in a quiet pitching duel early, with Macon managing just two hits through six innings.

The game’s turning point came in the top of the seventh, when back-to-back defensive errors allowed the Stars to score the game’s first run. The road team added to their lead in the final innings, taking advantage of miscues and plating nine more runs en route to a 10-2 victory over the Bacon.

With the loss, Macon turns its focus to a road game Saturday night against the Florence Flamingos. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.