Brooklyn Cyclones to rededicate vandalized Jackie Robinson statue

The vandalizing of the Jackie Robinson statue outside the Brooklyn Cyclones' Coney Island ballpark has given the team an urgent reason to turn that dark and despicable act into bright light shining on the spirit of harmony.

The team announced it is holding Unity Day events this Monday at MCU Park to highlight the spirit of racial harmony captured in the monument of Robinson and his Brooklyn Dodger teammate Pee Wee Reese.

“We wanted to use this as a platform to show what Jackie and Pee Wee stood for and not have the conversation just be about what happened to the statue,” said Cyclones spokesman Billy Harner.

The event will start with a re-dedication of the statue outside the ballpark, followed by the first game of the Cyclones "Battle For The Bridge" doubleheader against their minor league rivals the Staten Island Yankees. After the twin-bill, there will be a free screening of the new film about Robinson, “42.”

Vandals caused an uproar after scrawling swastikas and racist epithets on the statue of Reese with his arm draped around Robinson outside MCU Park.

A reward for information leading to the conviction of the culprits has grown from $10,000 to $50,000.

Jeter's secret sim game goes well, will be in Yankees lineup on Sunday

It sounds like Derek Jeter's top-secret simulated game went off without a hitch. According to reports, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he expects Jeter to be activated from the disabled list and in the Yankees lineup on Sunday.

Girardi revealed that Jeter played in the sim game today at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island at the same time that the Yankees were being shut out by the Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0, on Chris Archer’s two-hitter in the Bronx.

The ballpark is the home field of the Yankees' minor league affiliate the Staten Island Yankees.

Jeter’s whereabouts had been kept top secret by Girardi and the Yankees. He revealed Jeter's visit to Staten Island when asked at his post-game press conference at Yankee Stadium.

The 39-year-old captain tested his strained right quadriceps with eight at-bats against an unnamed Staten Island Yankees hurler, according to the Yankees manager.

He ran from first to third, from second to home, and if he feels OK on Sunday he will be in the lineup against Tampa Bay, said Girardi.

“If he comes in and feels good, he will play for us,” Girardi said. “It’s obviously someone we’ve been waiting for for a long time. We had him for one day and we won that game. Hopefully, that ratio continues.”

@RealMichaelKay The Captain is in Staten Island!!! #JeterComeback pic.twitter.com/xeWHCA7H2H
— Donny DFINE (@DonnyDFINE) July 27, 2013

The Staten Island Yankees are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Cyclones Saturday night at 7.

There is no chance that Jeter will be in the Staten Island lineup.