Steeplechase Park

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Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese Monument

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  • Over lifesize portrait sculpture of two baseball heroes
  • Over lifesize portrait sculpture of two baseball heroes
  • Location: In front of MCU Stadium, formerly known as KeySpan
  • Sculptor: William Behrends; LIV ART (engravers)
  • Architect: Ken Smith Landscape Architects
  • Description: Over lifesize portrait sculpture of two baseball heroes
  • Materials: Bronze, granite
  • Dimensions: Donor plaque: W:78" H:13.5"
  • Cast: 2005
  • Dedicated: 11/01/2005
  • Inscription: [from front, wrapping around base]
    IN MAY 1947, ON CINCINNATI'S CROSLEY FIELD, / ROBINSON ENDURED RACIST TAUNTS, / JEERS, AND DEATH THREATS / THAT WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE SPIRIT / OF A LESSER MAN. /

    REESE, CAPTAIN OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS, / WALKED OVER TO HIS TEAMMATE ROBINSON / AND STOOD BY HIS SIDE, / SILENCING THE TAUNTS OF THE CROWD. /

    THIS SIMPLE GESTURE / CHALLENGED PREJUDICE AND / CREATED A POWERFUL AND ENDURING FRIENDSHIP. /

    BORN 1919 CAIRO, GEORGIA - DIED 1972 STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT / JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON / 42 / ON APRIL 15, 1947 ROBINSON FIRST TOOK THE FIELD FOR THE BROOKLYN / DODGERS, BREAKING THE COLOR BARRIER IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. IN THE / FACE OF HOSTILITY, HE REMAINED STEADFAST, WINNING HIS WAY INTO THE / HALL OF FAME AND THE HEARTS OF BASEBALL FANS. ROBINSON WAS A CHAMPION / OF THE GAME OF BASEBALL, OF JUSTICE, AND OF CIVIL RIGHTS. /

    CITY OF NEW YORK, PARKS & RECREATION / MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, MAYOR / ADRIAN BENEPE, COMMISSIONER / THE MAYOR'S FUND TO ADVANCE NEW YORK CITY / WILLIAM BEHRENDS, SCULPTOR, 2005 /

    BORN 1918 EKRON, KENTUCKY - DIED 1999 LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY / HAROLD HENRY REESE / 1 / KNOWN AS PEE WEE, REESE WAS CAPTAIN OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS DURING THE / LATE 1940S AND THE EARLY 1950S. HE RISKED HIS CAREER WHEN HE STOOD BY JACKIE / ROBINSON AGAINST PREJUDICED FANS AND FELLOW PLAYERS. WITH THIS ACT OF / DEFIANCE, THE HALL OF FAME SHORTSTOP BECAME A POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL / MODEL OF TRUE HUMANITY. /

    [engraved stone tablet outside of circle]
    THE JACKIE ROBINSON & / PEE WEE REESE / MONUMENT DONORS / BANK OF AMERICA - BLOOMBERG - BROOKLYN BREWERY - BRYAN CAVE - BOB DALY - FOREST CITY RATNER COMPANIES - THEODORE J. FORSTMANN - JAMES F. GILL - THE HONORABLE RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI - INDEPENDENCE COMMUNITY BANK - KEYSPAN / MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - THOMAS S. MURPHY - THE NEW YORK METS - NEW YORK YANKEES - PETER O’MALLEY - STEVEN RATTNER FAMILY - THE STARR FOUNDATION - TIME WARNER INC. - TISCH FOUNDATION, INC. - TRI-STATE CONSUMER INSURANCE COMPANY /

    LOUIS M. ABRAMS - AHLFELD MERLINO - AVIATION AUDIT GROUP INC. - RHODA BARR - STEVEN C. BATTERMAN - RUBY & EUGENE BECKER - ANDREW BERKMAN - LAURA BOSS - MATTHEW BRIEF - BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES - TIMOTHY CAREY - THE HONORABLE RICHARD CONWAY CASEY / JOHN CASTLE - THE CENDANT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION - EDWARD T. CHASE - WILLIAM CHURCHILL CLARK - RICHARD COOK - MARY & ROBERT CURRAN - RENA REIGROD D’ANDREA - DENNIS MCHALE SERVICES - GORDON D. DEWART - SHEILA F. EPSTEIN - HOWARD H. FAIRWEATHER / JOHN D. FEERICK - FRANK FEINBERG - MICHAEL FEINBERG - RUTH FINN - CAROLE FORD - KEVIN FRAWLEY - GEORGE ARZT COMMUNICATIONS, INC. - ALAN GOLDBERG - ARTHUR J. GONZALEZ - RICHARD GRUBER - ROBERT S. GRUBER - GLORIA HANDLER - ALISON & SETH HEATON / MICHAEL D. HESS - CHARLES J. HYNES - PETER S. KALIKOW - STEPHEN KANE - MARTIN S. KAPLAN - IVO KATNICH - JOHN KEENAN - BRADFORD RANSOM KEMP - KESTER L. KEMP, SR. - ROSLYN LATTO - MICHAEL LEIBLE - LEA SCHERR LEVY - CAROL SUTTON LEWIS & WILLIAM M. LEWIS, JR. / TAMRA & JOSEPH LHOTA - LOWENTHAL FAMILY FOUNDATION - STEVEN M. LURIE - MARY JENNINGS MAHON - KIERAN MAHONEY - LOOMIS FREDERICK MAYER - GEORGE E. MCDONALD - MARION & BERNARD MEYERSON - PAUL Z. MILES - ANNE MARIE MITCHELL / MUTUAL OF AMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY - FRAN & FRED NATHAN - MARTIN NEEDELMAN - LEE BERMAN NEMIROFF - DEBORAH OVITZ - P.S. 7 BROOKLYN ABRAHAM LINCOLN ROUND TABLE - WILLIAM J. PAPE II - ANN & JOHN PRINTON - THELMA ROKOFSKY RAMM /
    JERRY M. REINSDORF - DANIEL RIORDAN - CAROL & MICHAEL ROSE - THE RUDIN FOUNDATION - NORMAN F. SABAH - TIM SCHANTZ - JUDITH & SCOTT SCHIAMBERG - ALAN SCHLOSSBERG - IN MEMORY OF SOL SCHWARTZ - SELECT EQUITY GROUP FOUNDATION - LEO SELIGSOHN /
    RENEE & JACK SHAPIRO - MERRY SHEILS - THE SHEIRER FAMILY - ED SHERMAN - CARLY SIMON - SHIRLEY & LESTER SPIVACK - BRUCE M. & SONDRA ASTOR STAVE - EVELYN SUCHER & ANDREW IRVING - RICHARD SULLIVAN - JAMES TROY - JOHN J. WALSH - EDWARD J. YODOWITZ /

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163

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