Robinson gets statue at Dodger Stadium

Apr 15, 2017 - 1:44 AM He was the first black man to play in baseball's major leagues, ending six decades of racial segregation, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fittingly, Jackie Robinson, who died in 1972, is the first to be honoured with a statue at Dodger Stadium.

It will be unveiled Saturday on the 70th anniversary of his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Two years ago on Jackie Robinson Day, owner and chairman Mark Walter suggested a sculpture belonged at Dodger Stadium of the six-time All-Star second baseman who starred when the team was in Brooklyn.

"He just felt it was an idea whose time had come," said Janet Marie Smith, the team's senior vice president of planning and development.

The 77-inch (1.95m) tall bronze statue depicts Robinson as a rookie in 1947 stealing home, a nod to his aggressive base-running.

It stands in the left field reserve plaza, with sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles in one direction and Elysian Park in the other.

Source: AAP