New Jackie Robinson statue unveiled in Wichita, Kansas - ESPN

Organizers of a youth baseball league in Wichita, Kansas, unveiled a new Jackie Robinson statue Monday evening, replacing the original that was stolen from one of the city's parks and vandalized earlier this year.

«It's been a long six months,» said Bob Lutz, executive director of League 42, which is named after the Brooklyn Dodgers legend and civil rights hero.

«And this is where we wanted it to get to. We feel like we, and so many others, have helped make the best of a terrible situation. And we hope to move forward with much more comfort now that we know we have this statue in place.»

The new statue was returned to McAdams Park, where League 42 plays its games.

There were about 300 people in attendance, including former MLB players CC Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Jeremy Guthrie and Mike Pelfrey. Tony Reagins, MLB's chief baseball development officer, also was in attendance. Three members of the Kansas City Royals' front office were on hand, as well. Sabathia and Reagins both spoke to the gathered crowd.

Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, local councilmember Brandon Johnson and Carol Parsons, wife of the late John Parsons, the sculptor of the original statue, also spoke.

MLB paid for the statue's replacement.

Art Castings of Colorado, an art foundry situated 50 miles outside of Denver, used the original mold created by Parsons — who died in 2022 — to recreate the statue.

Several of League 42's 600 players — two-thirds of whom are Black and Latino — were on hand, including 8-year-old Marcus Jones, who volunteered to speak.

«Jackie Robinson is a spark for the whole league,» he said in his speech.

After using surveillance video, police said at least three people were