San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A photojournalist who captured one of the most enduring images of World War II — the U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima — had a block in downtown San Francisco named for him Thursday.

Joe Rosenthal, who died in 2006 at age 94, was working for The Associated Press in 1945 when he took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.

After the war, he went to work as a staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle, and for 35 years until his retirement in 1981, he captured moments of city life both extraordinary and routine.

Rosenthal photographed famous people for the paper, including a young Willie Mays getting his hat fitted as a San Francisco Giant in 1957, and regular people, including children making a joyous dash for freedom on the last day of school in 1965.

The 600 block of Sutter Street, near downtown’s Union Square, became Joe Rosenthal Way after a short ceremony Thursday morning. The Marines Memorial Club, which sits on the block, welcomed the street’s new name.

Aaron Peskin, who heads the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, welcomed the city's political elite, military officials and members of Rosenthal's family to toast the late photographer, who was born in Washington, D.C., to Russian Jewish immigrant parents.

The famous photo became the centerpiece of a war bonds poster that helped raise $26 billion in 1945. Tom Graves, chapter historian for the USMC Combat Correspondents Association, which pushed for the street naming, said the image helped win the war.

“But I’ve grown over the years to appreciate also his role as a San Francisco newspaper photographer who, as Supervisor Peskin says, went to work every day photographing the city where we all live, we all love,” he said.

Graves and others said they look forward to tourists and locals happening upon the street sign, seeing Rosenthal's name for perhaps the first time, and then going online to learn about the photographer with the terrible eyesight but an eye for composition.

Rosenthal never considered himself a wartime hero, just a working photographer lucky enough to document the courage of soldiers.

When complimented on his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, Rosenthal said: “Sure, I took the photo. But the Marines took Iwo Jima.”

An SFMTA worker installs the Joe Rosenthal Way street sign to honor Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

An SFMTA worker installs the Joe Rosenthal Way street sign during the street renaming to honor the former AP photojournalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

FILE - This is a full frame scan of the 4x5 negative of Joe Rosenthal's iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo from Feb. 23, 1945 and seen Oct. 24, 2017 in the Associated Press Photo Library in New York City. (AP Photo, File)

People gather by the street sign Joe Rosenthal Way, that honors the former AP photojournalist who the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

People gather by the street sign Joe Rosenthal Way, that honors the former AP photojournalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

Supervisor Aaron Peskin pays respect during the street renaming to honor former AP photojournalist Joe Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

An SFMTA worker installs the Joe Rosenthal Way street sign to honor Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)

In this image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, AP photographer Joe Rosenthal photographs soldiers in front of the U.S. flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan, Feb. 23, 1945. (USMC/Pfc. Bob Campbell via AP)

FILE - Joe Rosenthal, an Associated Press photographer, is shown with his camera equipment looking over Iwo Jima, Japanese volcano island during World War II, March,1945. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP, File)

FILE- Joe Rosenthal, who took the iconic Iwo Jima flag raising photo in World War II, poses at the New Pisa Bar and restaurant in San Francisco, Dec. 20, 1994. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

FILE - U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan, Feb. 23, 1945. (AP Photo/Joe Rosenthal, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone.

When the free agent outfielder traveled to owner Steve Cohen's house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team unveiled a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, next to the one erected of franchise great Tom Seaver.

“Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.”

Soto was introduced at Citi Field on Thursday, a day after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, he was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras. Security men in gray suits wearing earpieces were off to the side.

The slugger walked in led by Boras, wearing a dark suit, black turtle neck shirt and gold chain with his No. 22. Soto picked the Mets over the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

His deal includes a luxury suite and four premium tickets for home games, all for free, and personal team security for the four-time All-Star and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games.

“My family is really important for me. Without them, I probably wouldn't have been here,” Soto said. “It's one of the biggest things.”

Boras had asked for those sweeteners.

“We included it at the beginning," Cohen said. “He made a request and we were happy to provide.”

The crosstown Yankees, who reached the World Series for the first time since 2009 in part because of Soto, refused to consider the concept.

“Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them,” general manager Brian Cashman said.

Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season and has boosted them to baseball's highest payroll in search of the team's first title since 1986 — when the World Series MVP, like Soto, wore No. 22 — Ray Knight. The owner thanked his son, Josh, for helping create the video and commended his 93-year-old father-in-law Ralph for attending the first get-together with Soto.

While other teams met Soto at the Pendry Newport Beach, a hotel just a five-minute drive from Boras Corp.'s office, Cohen asked to host the session at one of his homes.

“If we’re going to some restaurant, I didn’t know what the atmosphere would be,” Cohen said. “Food's better at my house.”

Cohen and Soto met again Friday at another of the owner's homes in Boca Raton, Florida. Soto wanted to know how many championships Cohen expects over the next decade?

“I said I’d like to win two to four,” the owner recalled.

The value of Soto's contract eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Its length topped Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year agreement with San Diego that runs through 2034. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego and the Yankees.

Boras wouldn't discuss who finished second in the bidding in Soto's mind.

“When you’re at a wedding, you don’t talk about the bridesmaids," he said.

Soto made the decision Sunday while at home with his family. Boras referred to the group as the “Soto Supreme Court" defined as “mother, sister, father — he’s got a wide group. I think he may have eight or nine uncles.”

“My information requests and such were rather unique,” Boras said, detailing that his team asked for OPS by ballpark. Soto's 1.175 at Citi Field is his highest at any stadium where he's played 15 or more games.

Soto cited Cohen's relationship with Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz as a factor in his mind.

“They are kind of like (a tight) family, a family that wants to win but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families,” Soto said.

Cohen had his wife Alex and father-in-law attend the initial meeting to emphasize kinship.

“My father-in-law is at every game, every home game,” Cohen said. “I wanted him to see how important baseball is to this family. And Alex grew up with one TV in an apartment and that Met game was on every night.”

Cohen relishes owning the Mets. He spoke earlier in the day to a town hall at his hedge fund.

“Whenever you meet somebody, they want to talk about the Mets before they talk about financial markets,” he said.

Soto's success will be determined by World Series titles. The Yankees have 27, the Mets two.

“It's such a big city, right? There's plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said.

Soto had a more direct definition.

"Championships is going to tell you if it's a Yankees or Mets town at the end of the day," he said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

New York Mets' Juan Soto poses for photographs at Citi Field, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto poses for photographs at Citi Field, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto poses for photographs at Citi Field, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto poses for photographs at Citi Field, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto, second from right, puts on a jersey as sports agent Scott Boras, right, Mets owner Steven Cohen, left, and president of baseball operations David Stearns, second from left, watch during a baseball news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets owner Steven Cohen, left, looks on as new Mets plyaer Juan Soto, right, is presented with a jersey by the team's president of baseball operations David Stearns, center, during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto smiles during a baseball news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto speaks during a baseball news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto speaks during a baseball news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets owner Steven Cohen, left, speaks as, from second left, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, new Mets player Juan Soto, and sports agent Scott Boras, right, listen during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets owner Steven Cohen, left, shakes hands with Juan Soto, center, as sports agent Scott Boras, right and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, look on during a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto, second from right, poses with agent Scott Boras, right, the Mets president of baseball operations David Stearn, second from left and Mets owner Steven Cohen, left, during a baseball news conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)