In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting, instead letting his talent on the field do the talking – ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired.