The theft of the Jackie Robinson statue from a park in Wichita, KS was infuriating enough, but to learn it was dismantled, burned and left in a trash can brought rage across the country.
Fortunately, help is on the way.
Today, MLB and all 30 of its clubs announced that not only would they replace the statue, but they would also support League 42, the nonprofit youth baseball organization that commissioned the statue and runs programs for children in the area.
“During this emotional week, we are proud to report some great news,” posted League 42 founder and CEO Bob Lutz. “MLB, which has been in touch with League 42 from the moment this tragedy became public, has formalized their support for our youth.”
That support will come in the form of MLB and its team funding League 42 programs to support its academic and on-field goals.
Cowards cut the statue from its base last Thursday, leaving only the feet. Surveillance video caught them driving off in a pickup truck. Yesterday, the Wichita Fire Department responded to a call about a trash can fire, which is where they discovered the “unsalvageable” remains of the statue.
Hopefully, the police catch the culprits and charge them to the fullest.
This afternoon’s announcement about MLB and its clubs stepping up to help the league, which was founded in 2013, is great news and comes on the heels of Lutz informing reporters on Tuesday that the statue would be recreated from the mold used to create the original statue.
“It will be a joyous occasion- unlike today, unlike the past five days,” he said on Tuesday.
Now, through the help of the baseball community, little leaguers who participate in League 42 programs will once again have Jackie Robinson to look up to.
And to make it even better, they’ll have the support of baseball as they pursue their dreams both on and off the diamond.
