June 10, 2003

06/10/2003 3:19 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PRESS RELEASE

Phillies to unveil Negro League Memorial Statue
Mayor Street, former Philadelphia Stars scheduled to attend

The Phillies will host the unveiling of a Negro Leagues Memorial Statue on Wednesday, June 18 at Veterans Stadium at 4 p.m.
Mayor John Street and the five living members of the Philadelphia Stars Negro Leagues baseball team are scheduled to take part in the ceremony. Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is serving as an Honorary Chairperson for the committee behind the statue, is also scheduled to attend.

The statue was made as a tribute to the players of the Philadelphia Stars. Bill Cash, Mahlon Duckett, Stanley Glenn, Harold Gould and Wilmer Harris are the five living members of the Stars and will be at the unveiling.

The Phillies will display the statue for 30 days at Veterans Stadium before it will later be placed in its permanent location on the southwest corner of Belmont and Parkside Avenues in Fairmount Park. That site is the former home playing field of the Philadelphia Stars.

The Phillies are one of many organizations and individuals that have joined the Business Association of West Parkside to have a hand in this project. In addition to hosting the unveiling, the Phillies have agreed to handle the maintenance and upkeep of the statue for a period of 10 years ($30,000 commitment). Also, the Phillies hosted a press conference earlier this year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to officially announce the plans for the statue.

The statue was sculpted by African-American artist and Philadelphian Phil Sumpter. Sumpter also designed the Judy Johnson statue at Wilmington's Frawley Stadium and the Roberto Clemente statue at Third and Erie.