Sick vandals desecrated a symbol of one of the most poignant moments in sports when they painted a swastika and racial slurs on a statue of Brooklyn Dodgers’ icons Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese at MCU Park in Coney Island, officials said.
Brooklyn Cyclones’ officials made the disturbing discovery when they arrived at the park this morning in advance of an 11 a.m. game at the stadium.
Cops said the vandals struck between midnight and 6 a.m., scrawling the words “heil Hitler,” “die n—-r,” “F–k n—-r” and “F–k Jackie Robinson and all n—-rs.”
Crews worked to remove the graffiti from the base of the statue, but were forced to cover the hateful comments with duct tape and netting after struggling to remove the paint in time for the Cyclones’ first pitch against the Connecticut Tigers.
The teams were playing on Camp Day, which attracted thousands of children.
“We did our best to cover it up to try to avoid exposing it to the kids,” said Billy Harner, the team’s director of communications.
“It’s a symbol of equality and tolerance, and for someone to do that, it’s just mind-boggling.”
Police are looking for the vandals and investigating the incident as a hate crime, officials said.
The statue shows Reese with his arm around Robinson, and commemorates the moment at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field when Reese, playing before his family, showed his solidarity with the man who integrated modern-day baseball in 1947.
City council Speaker Christine Quinn and Brooklyn Councilman Domenic Recchia quickly denounced the vandalism.
“We’re appalled by the racist graffiti that defaced the Jackie Robinson statue outside MCU Park in Brooklyn,” the pair said in a joint statement.
“We condemn this hateful act of vandalism, it does not represent the views of Brooklyn or any community of our great city. Jackie Robinson made history by breaking down barriers; he inspired a nation in his pursuit of equality.”
Baseball fans said they were shocked by the sentiments.
“It’s disgusting,” said Michael Clancy, 38, of Bay Ridge, who came to see the game. “I feel violated. If the Cyclones fans catch one of them, he’s going to get a multicultural ass whooping. Swastikas don’t mix with baseball.”
“Every fan who walks inside the stadium walks past this statue,” said Daniel Weiss, 21, of Flatbush.
“It’s an iconic moment in sports history. Jackie Robinson was accepted by his teammates. And he should be accepted by everyone now. The color barrier was broken that day. And it’s a treasure, really. Every stadium has its special statue or plaque. This is ours. This is a really sad day. Whoever did this needs to be dropped off the parachute ride without the parachute.”