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NYC accidentally disrespects Jackie Robinson
Statue of Jackie Robinson at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NYC accidentally disrespects Jackie Robinson by misspelling sign

The New York City Department of Transportation may already be responsible for what goes down as the biggest error of spring training. 

According to the Associated Press, a road sign positioned on a portion of the Jackie Robinson Parkway in Queens had the iconic ballplayer's first name accidentally misspelled as "Jakie." 

Department of Transportation spokesperson Scott Gastel said the issue was rectified on Monday, but not before the original sign understandably angered some locals. 

"It’s embarrassing," one Glendale resident told the New York Post. "Poor Jackie Robinson. That shouldn’t have happened. I mean, nobody wants to have that. It’s a memorial for somebody. It should be corrected." 

Robinson famously broke the MLB color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and retired before the Dodgers relocated to the West Coast after the 1957 season. 

While Robinson was a one-time Most Valuable Player and a six-time All-Star selection, many remember him more for what he accomplished as an outspoken civil rights leader than for his performances with the Dodgers. 

In a piece shared by Time on Tuesday, Spike Lee said that Robinson is, in his opinion, "the greatest American in history/­herstory."  

Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He died roughly 10 years later in October 1972, and what was previously known as the Interboro Parkway was renamed the Jackie Robinson Parkway in 1997 to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of his MLB and Dodgers debuts. 

Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, features the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and MLB observes "Jackie Robinson Day" every April 15. 

One 17-year-old sounded quite offended by the DOT's blunder. 

"It's f------ stupid," that teenager told the Post. "I wouldn’t say it’s disrespectful, but it’s definitely stupid."

City Councilman Robert Holden didn't necessarily agree with that teen, as Holden called the mistake "a slap in the face."

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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