Dave Winfield is the greatest all-around athlete the state of Minnesota has ever produced. The record speaks for itself. A Hall of Famer, a World Series champion, an athlete so gifted that he was drafted by multiple professional leagues, Major League Baseball, the NBA, the ABA, the NFL.

This statue will remind every young person that passes by that greatness can begin right here in our neighborhoods, our schools, our parks, and our city.

He is a symbol for all of us and what can happen regardless of where we start or where we're from that we can rise to greatness because no one can take what we have inside of us away from us.

We might have set you up, given you a place to start, but you turn grit into greatness. That's what I hope to provide for all the students here and across St. Paul, a starting place, a platform for them to jump from as they try to reach 3,000 hits or whatever milestone or marker they are seeking.

We are here today to preserve legacy. A legacy that started right here on these dusty fields and made its way to the highest levels of achievement across the nation. A legacy that was built on talent, grit, discipline, determination, and a belief that where you come from does not define how far you can go.

On behalf of the city council, we declare May 30th, 2026 Dave Winfield Day.

When I think of Dave Winfield, I think of four words. One is Hall of Famer. He probably would have been a Hall of Famer in basketball and football, too, but thank God he played baseball.

The third word is community. Um, I got a chance over my career to work with a lot of players, a lot of great players and a lot of players who were good individuals, great individuals on and off the field. One of them sitting right here, Tony Oliva, maybe the best. Very few players, in fact, no player that I came across was as forwardthinking about commitment to community than Dave Winfield.

I don't believe that [a person who is successful can't be recognized in their own home] and this is a perfect example that that is not the case. So, I appreciate you all very much for the recognition and the support over the years.

So, let me do this because someone mentioned that like the young kids even over at Central didn't know who I am. And that's okay. That's okay because I started 50 years ago, you know, right on these fields. I mean, I'm just going to tie a few things together so you understand who I am and why we got to today for a statue that that not only represents baseball but community.

And part of St. Paul, part of the lifeblood, part of the foundation of this city was um parks and wreck department. I did a little research on it. Uh when when St. Paul was young, parks and wreck was integrated into the way they established this city. They wanted to beautify the city. They wanted to keep kids off the street. They want to keep them motivated and who would know that it would play such a big part in my life.