Dodger Stadium Officials Announce Unveiling of Jackie Robinson Statue

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced last week the team will unveil a statue of Pasadena’s own Jackie Robinson on April 15, 2017, the day that marks the 70th anniversary of Robinson’s entry into the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African-American to break major league baseball’s color barrier.

A year ago, the Dodgers acknoeledged the statue was in the works. In December, they said sculptor Branly Cadet had been commissioned for the project, saying the statue will be nine to 10 feet tall and will be centered on the theme, “Leveling the Playing Field.”

Jackie Robinson Day and has been observed as such since 2004. Every year, the uniformed players and coaches on every MLB team would wear jersey number 42, Robinson’s number which has been permanently retired.

On the day of the unveiling, the Dodgers will play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers management said fans in attendance will receive a Jackie Robinson replica statue.

By signing Robinson and starting him on first base on April 15, 1947, the Dodgers heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that ha relegated black players to the Negro Leagues since the 1880s. That year, he became the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year.

Robinson was an All-Star player for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954 and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 – the first black player so honored. He played in six World Series games and contributed to the Dodgers’ 1955 World Series championship.

In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.