Tuesday is Jackie Robinson Day and the Yankees will honor Nelson Mandela by unveiling a plaque in Monument Park before the game. Mandela spoke at a packed Stadium on June 21, 1990, when he said: “You know who I am. I am a Yankee.” Mandela died last December.
The ceremony coincides with Major League Baseball celebrating Robinson’s career and MLB hosting a Diversity Summit at Yankee Stadium.
Other plaques in Monument Park with no direct ties to the Yankees or baseball are for Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and a Sept. 11, 2001, tribute.
Hal, Hank and Jennifer Steinbrenner are expected to be on hand, as is Robinson’s widow, Rachel, and daughter Sharon. With Mariano Rivera retired, no one will ever wear Robinson’s No. 42 in the majors.
The Empire State Building is going to be lit in Dodger blue Tuesday in Robinson’s honor.