The Bowling Green Ballpark on Friday will commemorate the 69th anniversary of when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in making his Major League Baseball debut. 

Adam Nuse, general manager for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, said WKU-PBS approached the Hot Rods with the idea of a Jackie Robinson Day event. 

Though Bowling Green Ballpark hasn’t had a formal celebration of Jackie Robinson’s achievements before, Nuse said he’s looking forward to it. 

“It’s something we’re very excited about,” he said. “Jackie Robinson clearly redefined baseball.” 

Remembering Robinson’s achievements is important, Nuse said. 

“As time goes on, I think we take the impact he had for granted,” he said. 

This Jackie Robinson Day celebration, in which the Hot Rods play against the Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts, is a collaboration with WKU-PBS, which will be premiering the Ken Burns documentary, “Jackie Robinson” on April 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. Friday.

“We’ll just have a Jackie Robinson theme for the day,” Nuse said, adding that the stadium is planning to have Jackie Robinson trivia and footage of the legendary athlete between innings. 

The event will also have an information table for those interested in learning more about Robinson, according to Molly Swietek, development manager of WKU Public Broadcasting.

The first 1,000 kids to arrive at the stadium will get a free copy of “Who Was Jackie Robinson?” by Gail Herman, she said. “It seems like a wonderful way of engaging the community,” she said. 

The giveaway has the added benefit of promoting reading among children and introducing them to Robinson, Swietek said. “We’re very committed to reading readiness and encouraging learning,” she said.  

The station is providing these books with its own funds, she said.   

“PBS is very committed to historical documentaries and sharing extraordinary lives,” Swietek said. “I feel he is an extraordinary person who overcame so much in his life.”  

David Brinkley, director of educational telecommunications at WKU, said the book is “the biggest piece of the puzzle” when it comes to making people more aware of Robinson’s achievements. “We want them to be inspired by this,” he said.

Children who receive the book can learn much from Robinson’s example, Brinkley said. “It’s a chance for them to learn that story and walk away with something that can help them out,” he said, adding that Robinson’s story can teach them to persevere.  

“Jackie Robinson was an inspiration because of the way he broke down the barrier that existed for him,” he said. “He didn’t care if people liked him. He just wanted people to respect him for his work.”

— Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.