Benjamin Ashford|Youth baseball program takes in $300K after its bronze statue of Jackie Robinson is stolen

In February for Black History Month,Benjamin Ashford USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "29 Black Stories in 29 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.

The story of a stolen Jackie Robinson statue has gone viral. His legacy has emerged as a subplot.

A GoFundMe page set up on behalf of the League 42, the youth baseball program in Wichita, Kansas that owns the statue, launched days before pieces of the bronze Jackie Robinson were found burned.

In poured almost $200,000, twice as much as the initial goal.

Many of the donations were accompanied by messages about the civil rights hero who wore jersey No. 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers when he broke baseball’s color line more than 70 years ago.

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“I am a college student-athlete that plays baseball and wears #42. I celebrate the things that Mr. Robinson did for me to be able to play the sport I love and wear his number.’’ – Alton Davis II

“We are not going to allow senseless acts from senseless individuals rob us of our joy! And Jackie was and IS JOY!’’ – Deznee Soza-Trevino

“Jackie matters as much today as he did in April 1947 when he broke the MLB color barrier.’’ -- Erik Ruzek

Other messages railed against racism. But Tuesday, the Wichita Police Department announced its ongoing investigation has not revealed evidence the crime was “hate-motivated.’’

The next day, Bob Lutz, Executive Director of League 42, told USA TODAY Sports that private donations increased the total raised to $300,000. (The GoFundMe page was closed when that total reached about $195,000.) He also said more donations, including an undisclosed sum from Major League Baseball, is expected.

“So when this is all said and done, we will have enough money to replace the statue many times over and to fund some of our programming,’’ said Lutz, who along with an administrative assistant organized the GoFundMe effort and on Wednesday mused about “the power that Jackie Robinson still has all these years later.’’

Who is Bob Lutz?

A retired sports columnist for the Wichita Eagle, Lutz said, “I’ve always been a baseball person. I’ve always wished that more African American kids played baseball.’’

Lutz, who is white, took action in 2013 when he started League 42 Foundation. The non-profit organization annually serves 600 children between the ages of 4 and 15, according to Lutz. The complex featuring four baseball fields is where the statue of Robinson stood until Jan. 25.

“We’ve seen Major League Baseball and college baseball struggle to appeal to African American children,'' Lutz said, "and the reason, in my opinion, is more economic than anything else.''

With that in mind, League 42 charges an enrollment fee of $30 (with no extra charge for siblings), provides equipment as needed and offers four educational programs that include tutoring.

At first, there was no money for a statue.

But League 42, which had less than $14,000 in revenue each of its first two years, has had more than $1.4 million in revenue each of the past two years, according to publicly available 990 tax forms. (Lutz receives compensation of $48,000 this past year, according to the tax forms.)

The bronze statue of Jackie Robinson Day was erected in 2021 at a cost of $41,500, according to Lutz.

“Some of the people on the board didn’t agree with me on that, thought that we could use whatever funds we had in a better way,’’ he said. “But it was my feeling that the Jackie Robinson statue would come to symbolize League 42.’’

Building Jackie Robinson in Bronze

Building the statue required permission from Jackie Robinson’s family, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and representatives of Robinson’s name likeness and image, according to Lutz.

“The last piece of the puzzle was when Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, told us that I’m just not thrilled with the way Jackie looks,’’ Lutz said. “Could you make him smile a little bit more?’’

Today, the League 42 Facebook page includes more than two dozen photos of children posing next to the bronze statue. Most of them are smiling, as is Robinson – just as Rachel Robinson requested.

Of the 600 children, about 200 are black, about 200 are Hispanic and about 200 are white, according to Lutz.

“It’s important for us to be as diverse as we can possibly be,’’ Lutz said.

Building the statue required permission from Jackie Robinson’s family, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and representatives of Robinson’s name likeness and image, according to Lutz.

“The last piece of the puzzle was when Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, told us that I’m just not thrilled with the way Jackie looks,’’ Lutz said. “Could you make him smile a little bit more?’’

Today, the League 42 Facebook page includes more than two dozen photos of children posing next to the bronze statue. Most of them are smiling, as is Robinson – just as Rachel Robinson requested.

Of the 600 children, about 200 are Black and about 200 are Hispanic, according to Lutz.

“It’s important for us to be as diverse as we can possibly be,’’ Lutz said.

Impact on Families

Talia Shinault said she's been saddened to drive by the League 42 baseball complex and see the empty space where the Jackie Robinson statue has stood. A single mother, Shinault said both of her teenage sons played baseball for the program that provided her sons with gloves and richer sense of self.

“It just meant a lot to them seeing somebody who looked like them playing a sport and make such a huge difference,’’ said Shinault, referring to Robinson. “It means a lot to them because it’s something that they grew to like and love and enjoy playing.’’

Police arrest man in theft of Jackie Robinson statue, no evidence of a hate crime

Her oldest son, Taryn, said Robinson would come up in conversation between players and coaches during practice. Though Taryn, 17, aged out of the league a few years ago, he said he carries the lessons from Robinson’s story.

“It doesn’t matter how many people try to tear me down, I’m just going to do what I can to where I want to be at,’’ he said.

What's Next for League 42?

Lutz said he's been too busy preparing for the upcoming season to read all of the messages on the GoFundMe page, which include, "Jackie was a national treasure, Bob Lutz is a local treasure. Reincarnating #42's statue will help us also honor Mr. Lutz.'' -- Chris Shultz

A new statue will cost between $45,000 and $50,000 and can be ready this summer, according to Lutz, and that means the season will begin without the smiling bust of Robinson on the grounds.

Practices at League’s indoor facilities have commenced. Practices on the four outdoor fields will begin the second week of March. And, as always, Opening Day is April 15, which the children in League 42 know if Jackie Robinson Day.

“He’s a mythical figure now in American sports culture,’’ Lutz said, “and everybody is enticed by his story because it's such a story of overcoming odds and finding a path and not being afraid.’’

While police search for the rest of the missing statue, the response to the theft suggests the legacy of Jackie Robinson is safe and sound.