MLB, teams to replace destroyed Jackie Robinson statue

Alex Butler
·2 min read
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Feb. 1 (UPI) -- MLB and its 30 teams will pay to replace a statue of baseball great Jackie Robinson that was stolen, burned and dismantled earlier this week in Wichita, Kan.

Bob Lutz, the founder and executive director of the League42 foundation, announced the gesture Wednesday night on X. Jackie Robinson wore No. 42.

"During this emotional week, we are proud to report some great news," Lutz wrote. "MLB, which has been in touch with League 42 from the moment this tragedy became public, has formalized their support for our youth."

"The commissioner's office and the 30 clubs have committed funding towards the costs of replacing our Jackie Robinson statue and providing other means of support of League 42. We are grateful for their contribution to our mission of celebrating Jackie's legacy through the youth of Wichita."

Overnight, @League42ICT Jackie Robinson statue at McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it just above Jackie's shoes and hauled it off in a truck. Our community is devastated. pic.twitter.com/MWbJvwga0k— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) January 25, 2024

The replacement process for the statue, honoring the former Brooklyn Dodgers star who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, is expected to take a few months.

The Wichita Fire Department announced that it located the remnants of the stolen statue inside a trash can Tuesday at Garvey Park, about 6 miles south of McAdams Park, where it was stolen from last week.

Two males were later seen on surveillance footage as they cut the statue at the ankles and placed it inside a pickup truck. Wichita Police announced that they located the truck, but an investigation into the incident remains active.

The statue, valued at $75,000, belongs to a Wichita youth baseball league and was commissioned in 2021 by the late artist John Parsons. Lutz said the League 42 foundation still has the original mold.

A GoFundMe campaign, organized by Bob Lutz and League 42 administrative assistant Jaclyn Evans, raised $177,492 as part of another effort to replace the statue.

MLB will hold its annual Jackie Robinson Day celebration April 15 at stadiums around the United States and Canada.