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By Steve Almasy, CNN
3 minute read
Published 9:50 AM EDT, Tue August 6, 2024
Nate Ford, left, and Jeff Herndon apply finishing touches July 24 to a statue of baseball Hall of Famer and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson in Loveland, Colorado.
CNN —
Former big leaguers and current youth baseball players were on hand Monday in Kansas as officials unveiled a new statue memorializing Jackie Robinson to replace one stolen and damaged beyond repair this year.
The League 42 youth baseball league revealed the statue of Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, at a night ceremony before hundreds of people, including dozens of youngsters, at the spot in the Wichita park from which the old statue was taken.
League youth player Marcus Jones paid tribute to the MLB Hall of Famer, telling the crowd Robinson “putasparkinallofus.”
The dignitaries included former American League Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia, who in 2022 was named as a special assistant to the commissioner in part to “promote equity in baseball,” and 13-year MLB player Jeremy Guthrie, who played for four seasons with the Kansas City Royals.
“Someone asked me earlier today what made me come here today. And just thinking about it, it was me wanting to show up. Jackie showed up every single day of his life in baseball and in his personal life, every single day for us,” said Sabathia, who also is on the board of the Players Alliance of pro baseball and softball players who advocate for equity in the game. “I thought it was important for me to show up here today.”
The original Robinson statue was stolen shortly after midnight January 25, police have said. Firefighters responded days later to a call about a trash can blaze at another park where they found pieces of the statue after extinguishing the fire, according to authorities.
Monday’s unveiling of the new statue marked a moment of healing and resilience, said Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief baseball development officer.
“Jackie’s legacy through all of these young people is alive and well. Jackie’s nine values are alive and well, and we (in MLB) are thrilled to be a part of this,” he said.
A man who pleaded guilty to stealing the statue and other crimes was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison and $41,500 in restitution for the theft, according to the Associated Press. His actions stemmed from a fentanyl addiction, he told a Kansas court.
Only bronze shoes remained after theft
The new statue depicts Robinson, who also played one season in the Negro Leagues in Kansas City, Missouri, with a bat on his right shoulder. The first statue was cut at the ankles, and all that remained were two bronze shoes.
Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on Opening Day.
Robinson, second from left, poses with his siblings and his mother, Mallie, for a family portrait circa 1925. Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, but raised in Pasadena, California.
Robinson was a formidable athlete in college, lettering in four sports at UCLA. He led the nation in rushing as a football player. After college, Robinson was drafted by the US Army and spent a couple of years in the military.
Shortly after he was discharged by the military in 1944, Robinson was signed by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues.
Robinson signs a contract with the Montreal Royals, a minor-league team and farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1945.
Robinson married Rachel Isum in Los Angeles in 1946. Throughout his life, she was his partner and sounding board, a steady companion when he was the subject of criticism and worse.
Robinson crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run for the Montreal Royals in 1946.
Young Dodger fans reach down to try to get Robinson's autograph during an exhibition game in New York on April 11, 1947.
Robinson poses in the dugout with Dodgers teammates as he makes his historic debut on April 15, 1947. With Robinson, from left, are Johnny "Spider" Jorgensen, Harold "Pee Wee" Reese and Eddie Stanky.
Robinson played several positions for the Dodgers: mainly second base but also third base, first base and a little outfield.
Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was integral in bringing Robinson to the majors. Rickey had been scouting players who could break the color barrier, and he was looking for someone who would be able to endure the racial hatred and not lash out in anger. "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" Robinson reportedly said. Rickey responded that he was looking for someone who had "the guts not to fight back."
Robinson and Dodgers teammate "Pee Wee" Reese cook soup with their children in 1950. Reese was a big Robinson supporter, especially during that difficult first season. When some teammates wanted to boycott Robinson's addition to the team, Reese refused to sign the petition. And as the story goes, Reese once put his arm around Robinson's shoulders in the middle of a road game, embracing Robinson as he was being heckled.
Robinson leaps into the air to try to turn a double play in 1952.
Robinson steals home during Game 1 of the 1955 World Series. The Dodgers lost the game but went on to defeat the New York Yankees in seven games.
Robinson shakes hands with President Richard Nixon at a GOP rally in 1960. Robinson attended the 1964 Republican Convention, but he later supported Democrats as the political parties' makeup changed.
From left, Edd Roush, Robinson, Bob Feller and Bill McKechnie stand with their plaques after being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1962.
Robinson appears on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1962. After retiring, Robinson became an executive for the Chock Full o'Nuts coffee company. He also spoke out on civil rights.
Robinson and his wife, Rachel, pose with their three children — Jackie Jr., David and Sharon — at their home in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1962.
Robinson works in the broadcast booth during the 1960s.
Robinson attends a meeting for Freedom Marchers in Williamston, North Carolina, in 1964. He was there to lend his name to the integration efforts in the city.
Robinson signs autographs before the start of an Old Timers Game in Anaheim, California, in 1969. Three years later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 53.
Jackie Robinson's life in pictures
A GoFundMe campaign raised money for the replacement statue. The original mold was still viable, and a duplicate was made, the AP reported.
Donations helped fund the new statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit’s facilities and its programming, League 42 Executive Director Bob Lutz, said, according to the AP.
“I’m justsimply amazed by the support we’ve gotten from so many since this heinous act happened back in January,” Lutz said at Monday’s ceremony.
About 600 children play in the urban youth baseball league that takes its name for Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson – who was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947 and its Most Valuable Player in 1949 – died in 1972.
CNN’s Andy Rose contributed to this report.
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