Cleats left behind after Jackie Robinson statue was stolen to be donated to Negro League Museum
The bronze Jackie Robinson cleats left behind when a statue of the first player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier was stolen from a Kansas park are being donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Thieves cut off the statue at the ankles last month, leaving only the feet in McAdams Park in Wichita. About 600 children play there in a youth baseball league called League 42. It is named after Robinson’s jersey number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the color barrier of the major leagues in 1947.
Bob Lutz, executive director of the nonprofit Little League that commissioned the sculpture, said the museum in Kansas City, Missouri, was “excited” about including the cleats in the exhibit on Robinson.
The display also includes a damaged plaque honoring Robinson. The sign was placed in 2001 outside Robinson’s hometown, near Cairo, Georgia. Community members there discovered last year that someone had shot the plaque several times.
“It’s kind of sad in its own way that we’re building this little shrine of Jackie Robinson stuff that’s defaced or damaged,” said Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “But it gives us a chance to talk about who he was, the characteristics and the value of what he represented, even in times of adversity. And that message never goes out of fashion.”
Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of black American ballplayers. He is considered not only a sports legend, but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
Firefighters found burned remains of his statue five days after the theft when they responded to a trash can fire in another park about 7 miles (11.27 kilometers) away. One man was charged with theft this month. Police said there was no evidence it was a hate-motivated crime, but rather the intention was to sell the metal for scrap.
After the theft, donations poured in, totaling about $300,000, Lutz said. The amount includes a $100,000 gift from Major League Baseball.
Lutz, whose friend, artist John Parsons, created the statue before his death, said the mold is still viable and expected a replacement to be installed within months. He estimated it would cost about $45,000 to replace the statue itself. While there will also be security and lighting costs, that leaves a lot of additional money that could be used to improve some of the league’s programming and facilities, Lutz said.
“It’s just amazing how many people are interested in this story,” Lutz said.