"42" tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the very first African American to play major league baseball.

WHITEHOUSE: Our Top Stories

The film follows Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball, as he plays for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and highlights the bond that formed between Robinson and Dodgers general manager and president, Branch Rickey.

CNN: Stars of '42' talk Jackie Robinson's legacy

It likened the announcement to Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in major league baseball in the modern era.

CNN: NBA's Jason Collins comes out as gay

On Twitter, Glenn Stout, editor of the august Best American Sports Writing series, brought up Ray Chapman, the Major League Baseball pitcher who died after being felled by a batted ball.

FORBES: The San Francisco 49ers And The Baltimore Ravens Will Meet In The Super Bowl: The Storylines

While Cuba and the Dominican Republic are of similar size and baseball pedigree, an analysis from the National Foundation for American Policy found there were only four Cuban baseball players on the 40-man rosters of Major League baseball teams in 2006, compared to 81 players from the Dominican Republic.

FORBES: Cuba: Where the Infield is Shaped Like a Prison