The 25-year-old Marlins left-hander is very appreciative of what transpired 60 years ago April 15.

Paying tribute Sunday, Willis represented the Marlins by wearing No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier 60 years ago.

Willis has never met Robinson's wife, Rachel. He wishes he could.

"If I did, I'd probably just say, 'Thank you. I can't thank you enough for the opportunity you opened for all of us,'" Willis said Sunday before the Marlins faced the Braves at Turner Field.

Introduced in 2004, Jackie Robinson Day was created to honor the enduring impact of Jackie Robinson and his legacy as the first African-American player to break the Major League color barrier. Robinson played his first Major League game at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Robinson breaking the Major League color barrier in 1997, Robinson's uniform number, 42, was retired throughout the Major Leagues.

Robinson's memory lives on today in initiatives such as the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which was founded by Rachel Robinson in 1973 to provide education and leadership development opportunities for minority students with strong capabilities but limited financial resources, as well as Breaking Barriers, which utilizes baseball-themed activities to reinforce literacy skills, mathematics, science and social history while addressing critical issues of character development such as conflict resolution and self-esteem.

While Willis wasn't pitching Sunday, the D-Train joked that he wants to do something so people can see that he is wearing No. 42, instead of his regular No. 35, for the day.

Willis will keep the special-occasion jersey, and he plans on storing it in a safe place.

"I've talked with my family about it. This is a little bit different. It may be in my will," Willis said. "This is monumental to me. This is a proud day for all African-Americans. It has more than just baseball, he was a humanitarian. You never know what time it would be, not just for African-Americans, but for Latins, that they could step on a field if it wasn't for him. There still might be Negro Leagues or whatever. This is a monumental day.

News and features:
• On this day, Robinson remembered
• Commissioner honors Rachel Robinson
• Bauman: Every day should be Robinson Day
• Sacred No. 42 on display around league
• Urban Youth Academy a beacon in LA
• Youth get baseball essentials at clinic
• Robinson affected American society
• No. 42 was one of chance
• 'Jackie Jerseys' to be auctioned
• Robinson made impact on field, too
• Robinson's many peers follow his lead
• Newman: 1947 a time for change
• A fitting tribute to a legend
• Doby remembered for his part, too

Sights and sounds:
• Jackie Robinson Day celebration
• Rachel Robinson news conference
• Jimmie Lee Solomon on Robinson
• Frank Robinson on talking with Jackie
• 'Thank you, Jackie' from TWIB
• Dodgers past and present
• "Breaking the Color Barrier"
• Newcombe on teammate Robinson
• Newcombe discusses community relations
• Watson on Robinson's impact
• Landreaux on Youth Academy
• Jackie Robinson profile
• Spike Lee documentary
• Baseball's Best: 1952 Series highlights
• 1962 Hall of Fame induction speech
• Jackie Robinson retrospective

Complete coverage >

"It's bigger than just a number. This is American history. I might be going out on a limb, but I see so much emphasis on it the last couple of weeks about Jackie Robinson, but I don't think it will be the same, [April] 16. It should be. He opened the doors for everybody in baseball. If it wasn't for him, there wouldn't be a lot of the great storylines you see in baseball today. I hope they continue to have that intensity to remember Jackie Robinson at all times."

Marlins assistant general manager Michael Hill, who grew up in Cincinnati and played college baseball and football at Harvard, credits Robinson for opening doors for all minorities.

"He just represents everything about this game," Hill said. "He was a pioneer and he went through so many hardships so that I could be where I am today -- so I could lace up my spikes and play. It's a tremendous honor and a great day. It's a tremendous tribute, to honor the man that is really the reason we're able to be here."

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez was born in Cuba and raised in Miami. On Sunday, Gonzalez said if he had a chance to eat dinner with one person from the past, it would be Jackie Robinson.

"Being a baseball fan and a baseball historian a little bit, I've read some of the stuff people have written," Gonzalez said. "I think that not only did he open the doors for the African-Americans, but he opened doors for [Latinos], and everyone should be aware of the struggles that he went through to play the game.

"You read some of the stories, it was tough. It was tough from the opposing team, and even his own team, and the fans. I don't know if I would have been able to handle it myself. When they ask you, 'Who from the past would you like to have dinner with?' I think, after reading his stories, I think I would have liked to have dinner with him."