A Larger-than-life Look At A Legend's Legacy Jackie Robinson, Stealing Home.

At Broad and Somerset, seven blocks away from where he used to play ball, a 30-foot-tall Jackie Robinson is stealing home. Permanently.

It's an expansive image that looks as if it jumped off the screen of an old Philco. Robinson, executing his signature play, is captured in a grainy, black-and-white mural painted on the side of a three-story brick rowhouse in the 2800 block of North Broad Street.

Robinson's widow, Rachel, drove down from Manhattan yesterday for a ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers and breaking the color line in major league baseball. The mural was painted by the city's Department of Recreation Mural Arts program, on a lot cleared by the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections. It's just a few blocks from where Robinson made history by playing against one of the most racist teams of that era, the Phillies, at Connie Mack Stadium at 21st and Lehigh.

On hand were a number of dignitaries sweating in suits, Midge Rendell, and the Anderson Monarchs, a youth baseball team from South Philadelphia that barnstormed the country this summer in honor of Robinson. Neighborhood children sat on milk crates, sipped free sodas and listened to speeches and music from the Big Band era.

The project was sponsored by the city Recreation Department, the Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Co., and officials from the Phillies, who earlier this year formally apologized for their treatment of Robinson.

``Well, I'm very proud to be standing here and sharing this celebration,'' Rachel Robinson said. She said she attends unveilings such as this with some trepidation whenever an artist is attempting to capture her late husband's image.

``I always hold my breath,'' she said, but ``this is Jack making it home.'

She said she hopes ``somehow it will enrich the spirit of the neighborhood children.''

Artist David McShane was grinning widely after he got Robinson's public endorsement.

The artist with the paint-stained hands said the image he created was inspired by a famous black-and-white photo of Robinson stealing home in the 1955 World Series against the Yankees and catcher Yogi Berra.

But McShane said he didn't think the expression on Robinson's face was dramatic enough. Then he saw another photo of Robinson sliding home, with fist upraised and hat flying.

``I saw it on a Wheaties box, and I said, `wow, this is perfect,' '' said McShane, a teacher at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. ``I grafted the two together.''

It took McShane 3 1/2 weeks to paint Robinson. The artist said he thought the black-and-white image captured the period better than full color. It was also something of a social commentary.

``It's a black-and-white issue,'' he said.

The Monarchs baseball team, the pride of the Marion Anderson Recreation Center, posed with Rachel Robinson.

Ten-year-old Marquis Harris from South Philly plays Robinson's former position, second base. He looked up at the giant mural and gave it a thumbs-up.

``It's great,'' he said. ``I like that picture, stealing home - I think he was safe, too.''