On Thursday, a statue erected to honor MLB star Jackie Robinson was broken under its feet and stolen outside a youth baseball field in Kansas.
Jackie Robinson statue stolen from youth baseball facility | NewsClick to read more 👇 https://t.co/017CIWKyK0
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) January 26, 2024
Wichita, Kansas, police said the statue was photographed from outside the baseball diamond at McAdams Park.video show TMZ reports that the thieves tore the statue from its base, threw it in the back of a truck and drove away.
“I noticed it when I left the building around noon today.'' According to KAKE-TV, park supporter Bob Lutz said, “I always see the Jackie statue, and I saw it again today, but I didn't notice it.'' It wasn't there or I couldn't see it.”
“This is a sacred place. This is a place to honor a man who broke barriers and accomplished things that had never been done before,” Lutz added.
Police senior spokesperson Andrew Ford lamented the loss of the statue.
“I think League 42 paid $50,000 for that statue, but I think it was a discounted price. So that statue could probably go for $100,000. It's a bronze statue. A life-size American icon. ,” Officer Ford said.
Robinson is, of course, famous for breaking the color barrier in professional baseball and becoming one of the first national black baseball stars in the 1940s and 1950s.
Anyone with information regarding the theft is asked to call Wichita Police Department investigators at 316-268-4407.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Hustonor truth social @WarnerToddHuston
