Grandson Won’t Forget

Jesse Robinson Simms never had the honor of meeting his grandfather, Jackie Robinson, who died six years before he was born, but he pledges that he forever will carry on the legacy.

“I was in the fifth or sixth grade before I learned everything he stood for and everything he believed in,” said Simms, who signed a national letter of intent to play football for UCLA. “[Penn State Coach] Joe Paterno told me how he’d go to Ebbets Field to watch him play. [USC Coach) John Robinson . . . they all told me about my grandfather.”

Simms, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch, said he will do everything in his power to ensure that no one forgets about his grandfather.

“What I strive for is to carry on his legacy and leadership values,” Simms said. “It all starts with athletes knowing the history of the sport. Some players realize its importance, but a lot of them [couldn’t] care less. Once you get to the collegiate level, it’s a business. The learning process should start at a young age.”

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The five-mile Interboro Parkway that goes through Brooklyn and Queens and passes by the cemetery where Robinson is buried was renamed after Robinson.

“In renaming the Interboro Parkway after [Robinson] today,” New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said, “we say a small thank-you to the man who paved the way for greater equality and opportunity for African Americans in this country.”

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Tiger Woods, the first black to win the Masters, was invited to attend the ceremony for Robinson by the Mets, but he declined because of a prior commitment.

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Dodger catcher Mike Piazza will miss today’s game to attend the funeral of his grandmother, who died of a long illness Monday night. He was scheduled to travel to Philadelphia today, and is scheduled to arrive back in Los Angeles on Friday in time for the game against the Houston Astros.

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Piazza, who was back in the lineup after being hit Friday night with a pitch just above the left elbow, appeared on a celebrity version of “Jeopardy” and won $15,000 for the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

“I did great in the Las Vegas category,” Piazza said. “Alex [Trebek] said, ‘You know a lot about Las Vegas.’ I told him, ‘Well, I lost a lot of money there.’ ”