Sunday, September 29, 2013

Statue of Historic Figure: Jackie Robinson - Montréal, PQ, Canada

Interesting Places I've Photographed
Jackie Robinson Monument
Montréal, PQ, Canada
Topic: Statue of Historic Figures
Sculpture
Monument
GPS: N45° 33.349; W073° 33.063

Quick Description: 

A monument to Jackie Robinson, the first player of color in Major League Baseball, is located near Pie IX Metro station near Olympic Park in Montréal, Canada.

Long Description:

Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play for a major league baseball team when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 at age 28. By doing so he broke the color barrier that allowed many other people of color to play professional baseball at the highest level of the sport.
Jackie Robinson played in the minor leagues with the Montreal Royals before starting a 10 year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He retired at age 37. He compiled the following record:

Games = 1,382
At Bats = 4,877
Runs = 947
Hits = 1,518
Doubles = 273
Triples = 54
Home Runs = 137
Batting Average = .311


Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility.

A sculpture on the monument depicts a life-size statue of Jackie Robinson wearing a Montréal baseball uniform without a cap. Two children stand nearby. He is holding the hand of the nearest child. A plaque on the monument is inscribed in French:


JACKIE ROBINSON
1919 - 1972

DANS L'ESPIRIT DES MONTRÉALAIS JACKIE ROBINSON DEMEURERA TOUJOURS
UN SYMBOLE D'EXCELLENCE DE COURAGE ET DE PERSÉVÉRANCE.
PREMIER JOUEUR DE COULEUR À ÉVOLUER DAN LES LIGUES MAJEURES
IL LÉGUA SA GLORIE AUX SIENS ET À TOUT LE BASEBALL ET SE MÉRITA
UNE PLACE IMPORTANTE PARMI LES IMMORTELS DU BASEBALL.
CE MONUMENT FUT INAUGURÉ LE 16 MAI 1887 PAR MADAME RACHEL ROBINSON
VEUVE DE JACKIE ROBINSON EN PRESENCE DES AUTORITÉS MUNICIPALES DE LA
VILLE DE MONTRÉAL ET DU CLUB DE BASEBALL LTÉE LES EXPOS.

Plaque

JACKIE ROBINSON

1919 - 1972

IN THE SPIRIT OF MONTREALERS JACKIE ROBINSON WILL ALWAYS REMAIN
A SYMBOL OF EXCELLENCE OF COURAGE AND PERSEVERANCE.
FIRST PLAYER OF COLOR TO ENTER THE MAJOR LEAGUES
HE BEQUEATHED HIS GLORY TO HIS FAMILY AND ALL BASEBALL AND WON
A PLACE IMPORTANT AMONG THE IMMORTALS OF BASEBALL.
THIS MONUMENT WAS INAUGURATED ON MAY 16, 1887, BY MRS. RACHEL ROBINSON
WIDOW OF JACKIE ROBINSON IN THE PRESENCE OF MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES OF THE
CITY OF MONTREAL AND THE EXPOS BASEBALL CLUB.




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