Nelson Mandela to be honored with plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium
Nelson Mandela acknowledges the crowd after donning a Yankees warmup jacket and cap during a rally in his honor at Yankee Stadium. (June 21, 1990) Credit: AP
The Yankees will honor Nelson Mandela by placing a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium to commemorate his visit to the Stadium on June 21, 1990.
The plaque will be unveiled during a ceremony before the Yankees play the Chicago Cubs on April 15 — Jackie Robinson Day.
Mandela famously said, “You know who I am. I am a Yankee,” while wearing a Yankees hat and jacket during his historical visit in 1990. The former South African president spent the day meeting New Yorkers throughout the city and ended by stopping at Yankee Stadium, which had been opened to fans for a concert.
“Nelson Mandela’s visit was a transcendent moment in the history of the original Yankee Stadium,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said. “We want this plaque to be an everlasting tribute to his indomitable spirit and unfailing dignity.”
More MLB news
