As the seniors filed out of Central High School in St. Paul on Friday afternoon for the final time before graduation, a number of them couldn’t help but notice something was going on outside of Toni Stone Stadium off in the distance.

That’s where the statue designed to immortalize St. Paul legend Dave Winfield was being installed before it was set to be unveiled less than 24 hours later.

The only issue? Not everybody knew the history of arguably the greatest athlete to ever come out of Minnesota.

Though he was busy helping oversee the installation of the statue in that moment, St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez was happy to talk about Winfield to anybody who stuck around long enough to listen. The message from Rodriguez was rooted in making sure they understood that Winfield, at his core, was a kid from St. Paul that never turned his back on the place that raised him.

“His story is woven into the fabric of this community,” Rodriguez said. “That’s exactly why the statue matters. Those seniors weren’t just learning about a Hall of Famer. They were seeing proof that greatest can come from where they come from.”

Not only was Winfield among the best players to ever do it, he was also a trailblazer when it came to philanthropic efforts. He’s widely recognized as the first player to set up his own charitable foundation that, in turn, provided a playbook for other players to follow suit.

It didn’t matter how famous Winfield got throughout his life. Not once in his life has Winfield forgotten his roots as a Rondo neighborhood legend. He made that very clear on Saturday morning during a picturesque ceremony inside Toni Stone Stadium that preceded the highly anticipated unveiling of the statue.

In a speech that spanned nearly a half hour, Winfield, 74, stood at a podium near home plate, taking everybody in attendance on a journey that touched on nearly every chapter of his life.

He reminisced about playing at the Oxford Playground down the street from his childhood home, starring as a multisport athlete at Central High School not too far up the road, and accepting a scholarship at the University of Minnesota across the river. He went through his major league baseball career that included stints with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Twins and Cleveland Indians before being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He got choked up while speaking fondly about his wife Tonya and how much her support has meant to him.

All the while, Winfield continuously weaved in anecdotes about how growing up in St. Paul shaped him as a person. That helps explain why he was so touched to be honored with the statue that will forever stand outside Toni Stone Stadium.

As he pulled the black tarp to reveal the statue for the everybody to see, Winfield looked up at his likeness in awe, then he smiled big and gave his assessment of the masterpiece. He loved it.

“They captured my batting stance exactly,” Winfield said. “I look like I’m about to hit a line drive and knock somebody’s glove off.”

Just like he did as a kid growing up in St. Paul once upon a time.

Some of the other speakers at the event included St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, St. Paul City Council Member Anika Bowie and former Twins President Dave St. Peter. All of them mentioned how Winfield made it his mission to help the community throughout his life. As good of a player as he was on the field, Winfield might have been even been a better person off the field.

“You turned grit into greatness,” Her said. “I hope the statue here will serve as an inspiration to every kid who walks through this park.”

Not long after the unveiling of the statue was complete, Winfield took a few minutes in the parking lot to chat with members of the Central High School baseball team, which recently went undefeated in the St. Paul City Conference. He offered some words of wisdom that could help on the field and perhaps some inspiration that will carry over off the field.

“I hope people remember me for what I did for others,” Winfield said. “I’m truly blessed be able to do everything I did and still be alive to talk about it.”