Onlookers gather at McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas, on Jan. 27, two days after the bronze statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson was cut down and stolen from this spot. At noon, when Bob Lutz left the old mechanic's garage that had been turned into the gleaming headquarters of the youth baseball league he founded, he liked to look across the street at the statue of Jackie Robinson.
And he built it for kids like Ohmari Johnson, an 11-year-old who hadn't played baseball before and was in search of a sport that fit him. After some time in League 42, he liked it enough to play a tabletop version of the game that mixes dice, math and the sport's rules. Once he learned about Robinson and what he overcame, Johnson found one word to describe how Robinson's story made him feel.Every year on Jackie Robinson Day, the country reflects on Robinson's legacy.
Through a series of leads, police identified a suspect, Ricky Alderete, a 45-year-old man who police said had open felony warrants. According to the affidavit, police reached one of Alderete's friends and viewed their text messages. Police said they found parts of the statue in the trash can. ESPN contacted Timothy J. Hale, whose name and number were listed on a police document. A person at the number confirmed discovering the fire and texted a photo of the statue's head and bat on the ground where concrete met grass. The bronzed Brooklyn cap was charred on its left side. Police told ESPN that the investigation into the fire was ongoing.
A GoFundMe page set up by the league raised nearly $200,000 before the fundraising link was closed Feb. 5, less than two weeks from when the statue went missing. There were additional donations, including $10,000 from an anonymous former professional baseball player and $35,000 in contributions to the league's PayPal account. Lutz estimated that League 42 received between $500,000 and $600,000 in total.
"We tip our caps to the leadership of League 42 and appreciate its continued impact on the development of the next generation of young leaders and players, who can follow the heroic example of their league's namesake." "Jackie Robinson wouldn't want you to react like this," Lutz said."Look at the adversity he faced and that he overcame. And if he had bailed at the first sign of this kind of adversity, we wouldn't be telling his story."Bob Lutz, executive director of the youth sports league League 42. A retired sportswriter, Lutz founded the organization in 2013 in an effort to increase the number of Black kids playing baseball. On Feb.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »
Source: WGAL - 🏆 331. / 59 Read more »
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »
Source: dallasnews - 🏆 18. / 71 Read more »
Source: NBCLA - 🏆 319. / 59 Read more »