LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today unveiled a Jackie Robinson Statue at Dodger Stadium – the first statue in Stadium history – as part of Jackie Robinson Day celebrations on the 70th anniversary of Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947.
Today’s dedication ceremonies featured speakers Dodger President & CEO Stan Kasten, Frank Robinson, Vin Scully, Dodger Owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Sharon and David Robinson. Rachel Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Jaime Jarrín and Don Newcombe were also in attendance. The statue’s sculptor, Branly Cadet, along with Andre Ethier, Orel Hershiser and Dave Roberts, presented members of the Robinson Family with a photograph of the sculpture during the ceremonies, which were emceed by Kevin Frazier.
“The Robinson family is thrilled that the Dodgers have chosen to honor Jackie Robinson with a statue at Dodger Stadium,” said Sharon Robinson. “We appreciate the artist’s depiction of him going into his signature slide as well as addressing my father's commitment to social change with key quotes.In addition to today’s honor, we are extremely grateful for the support the Dodgers and the Dodgers Foundation have shown to my father’s legacy organization, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and the Jackie Robinson Museum, which will be breaking ground this year.”
The statue, which is located on the Left Field Reserve Plaza at the Stadium, depicts a young Jackie Robinson in his rookie season sliding into home plate, a salute to his aggressive and ambitious playing style. The bronze statue, which took 18 months to complete, sits atop a granite base, which contains a biographical paragraph as well as three of Robinson’s iconic quotes. The combined statute and base stand nearly nine feet tall.
“I’m humbled to participate in the unveiling of the Jackie Robinson statue on the 70th anniversary of his Major League debut,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson. “His impact exceeded beyond baseball, paving a way for me and African-American athletes across all sports. Beyond being an extraordinary athlete, Robinson was an extraordinary individual. This statue is a tribute to not only the rich history and success Robinson brought to the Dodgers organization, but the social impact he made on this country.”
The Dodgers will continue to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day during pre-game ceremonies and throughout tonight’s 6:10 p.m. game vs. Arizona, with the first 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance receiving a replica of the statue, presented by Bank of America.
Photos of the statue can be downloaded at the link below, courtesy: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers:
https://ladodgers.sharefile.com/d-s7e066cb52224d878
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 21 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world.
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Statue:
Depicted: A young Jackie Robinson in his rookie season, 1947, sliding into home plate in a salue to his aggressive and ambitious playing style.
Material: Bronze
Height: 77 inches
Weight: 700 pounds, secured with a steel rod that adds approximately 150 pounds.
Sculptor: Branly Cadet in Oakland, CA
Main Inscription:
Jackie Robinson - Brooklyn Dodgers 1947-1956
On April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jack Roosevelt Robinson, at the age of 28, became the first African-American in the 20th century to play for a Major League Baseball team.
A dynamic player who appeared in six World Series during his 10-year career, Robinson in 1947 was named baseball’s first Rookie of the Year, an award which today bears his name. Robinson won National League MVP honors in 1949 after hitting a league-best .342 with 37 steals.
He stole home 19 times during the regular season and once in the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Quotes on statue base:
A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me…All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.
There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
Base Height: 30 inches.
Base Weight: 34,375 pounds (more than 17 tons)
Base Dimensions: Approx. 13 x 9 feet.
Base Material: Granite, manufactured by Coldspring in Cold Spring, MN
Location: Dodger Stadium, Left Field Reserve Plaza
About the sculptor, Branly Cadet:
Branly Cadet began studying sculpture at Cornell University. After graduating, he continued his studies in figurative art at the New York Academy of Art, The Arts Students League, and in France at the Vaugel Sculpture Studio and L'Ecole Albert Defois. He, soon after, won the prestigious James Wilbur Johnston National Figure Sculpture Competition and began teaching sculpture. His significant public art commissions include the Adam Clayton Powell sculpture and a bronze medallion of William Shakespeare in New York City. He is presently working on a sculpture at Philadelphia City Hall to honor African American civil rights leader Octavius V. Catto and celebrate the day that African Americans secured the right to vote.
Born in New York City, he is a descendant of Haitian metal artist Georges Liautaud, whose exploration of iconography has influenced Cadet's own work. Branly now divides his time between his residence in Oakland, California and New York City, where, along with creating his own art, he accepts small and large scale sculpture commissions.
