Jackie Robinson Museum open in Manhattan at last

Long dreamed about and in development for longer than the big league career of the man it honors, the Jackie Robinson Museum opened Tuesday in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.

Rachel Robinson, who turned 100 on July 19, watched the halfhour outdoor celebration from a wheelchair, then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.

Her daughter, Sharon, 72, also looked on from a wheelchair and son David, 70, spoke to the crowd of about 200 in a closed-off section of Varick Street, a major thoroughfare where the 19,380-square-foot museum is located. It opens to the public Sept. 5.

Rachel Robinson announced the museum on April 15, 2008, the 61st anniversary of Jackie breaking the big league color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Robinson became NL Rookie of the Year, the 1949 NL batting champ and MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champ in 1955. He hit .313 with 141 HRs and 200 steals in 11 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Robinson, who died in 1972, had an impact beyond baseball, galvanizing a big slice of American public opinion and boosting the civil rights movement.

A gala dinner was held Monday night to preview the museum, which contains 350 artifacts, including playing equipment and items such as Robinson's 1946 minor league contract for $600 a month and his 1947 rookie contract for a $5,000 salary. The museum also holds a collection of 40,000 images and 450 hours of footage. STANTON GOES ON ON IL >> Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton could miss a few weeks because of tendinitis in his left Achilles. The four-time All-Star was put on the 10-day injured list before Tuesday night's Subway Series opener at the New York Mets.