A statue of Jackie Robinson that was cut down at the ankles in a park in Wichita, Kansas, is nearing completion.
In January, thieves stole the original statue and burned it; Firefighters discovered the burned remains in a trash can in another park.
But Alex Haines, a Colorado goldsmith who built the original statue, says the replacement is almost finished.
“A lot of sculptures come through here,” Haines said at the Art Castings studio in Loveland, Colorado, where the original statue was cast.
‘Some are a little more important than others. And this is definitely one of them.’
The only thing that remained of the old statue were Robinson’s shoes, which were located outside McAdams Park in Wichita. About 600 children play there in a youth baseball league called League 42.
The remaining ankles of a Jackie Robinson statue outside a park in Wichita, Kansas, in January.
The replacement of that statue is almost complete and will take the same shape as the original.
It is named after Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
The news spread widely and a national outpouring of donations ensued, allowing Wichita to quickly reorder a replacement.
“There has been a lot of serendipity when it comes to League 42 throughout our entire existence,” said Bob Lutz, executive director of the nonprofit Little League organization that commissioned the statue.
“It’s almost like someone is looking out for us. And certainly, in this sense, we felt that… there was a guardian angel making sure that we could make this statue again.’
As news of the theft spread, the nonprofit was inundated with donations estimated between $450,000 and $500,000.
That includes a $100,000 donation from Major League Baseball, which will cover the statue’s $45,000 replacement cost and other improvements, including landscaping and the addition of decorative bollards that will prevent people from driving too close to the statue.
The rest of the money raised will go toward improving some of the nonprofit’s programming and facilities. Last year, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and learning lab. There might even be enough money to add artificial turf and more lighting, Lutz said.
Another blessing for Lutz is that the replacement will look exactly the same as the original, which was created by his friend, artist John Parsons, before his death in 2022 at the age of 67. This is possible because the original mold was still viable.
Thieves stole the original Robinson figure in January and burned it in a trash can
Robinson was the man who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
“If that wasn’t the case, I don’t know if I would feel as good about all of this,” Lutz said.
A man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the theft and the investigation continues into a crime that police say was motivated not by racial animosity but by plans to sell the bronze for scrap.
It was a stupid plan, said Tony Workman, owner of Art Castings of Colorado. The city where the company is located, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Denver, is known for its abundance of sculptors and artists.
“The problem is you can’t light a fire in a dumpster hot enough to melt the metal,” Workman said. ‘The only thing you’re going to do is burn the sculpture. So you’ll still be able to tell what it was.
Beyond rebuilding the statue, bronze studs cut from the original statue found a new home last month at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
It is an appropriate place. Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of African-American players. He is considered not only a sports legend but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
“The outpouring of support that people have received as a result of this reminds us that light truly does come from darkness,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
At the museum, the shoes are part of an exhibit that also includes a gunshot-riddled plaque that had been erected outside Robinson’s birthplace near Cairo, Georgia.
The statue’s remaining feet are now on display at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
“It renews our spirit and our faith in people, because sometimes people do despicable things and it makes you want to give up on people,” Kendrick said. “But you know you can’t give up on people, even though sometimes you want to.”
One recent morning, Emilio Estevez, a financial services worker from Miami, stopped to look at the shoes. He described Robinson as an inspiration, both because of his athleticism and his ability to endure ridicule while integrating the sport.
“We can all learn from that,” he said.
And the thieves couldn’t take it away, Estévez said.
“He is still on all of our minds. “He is still very present, like here in the museum, it is very frequent,” he stated.