U of Illinois to name stadium after Yankees' Granderson
The University of Illinois at Chicago will name its new baseball stadium for Yankees center fielder and alum Curtis Granderson, who donated a large sum to the school's athletic program.
Curtis Granderson Stadium will be the home of UIC's baseball team as well as Chicago's area youth, the school said.
"There are a lot of people in the community that are in the same situation I was in 15 to 20 years ago," Granderson said in a statement. "Now, I am in a position where I have the ability to help kids pursue whatever dreams they have, whether they are educational, athletic or just life in general. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to team up with UIC, which has helped me get to where I am today."
Granderson announced his plan at a UIC-hosted ceremony to retire his No. 28 jersey.
"We are grateful to Curtis for his generosity, which will impact UIC baseball and our student-athletes for generations," UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt said in a statement. "Curtis is once again demonstrating his strong core values in assisting the youth of Chicago. He is a special person and a great representative for UIC."
