Roberto Clemente Day

Submitted by ub on

Each and every Puerto Rican Major League Baseball players can wear the number # 21 to observe Roberto Clemente Day. 

All Puerto Rican players will be allowed to wear No. 21 on Wednesday during my Tocayo, Major League Baseball’s

Roberto Clemente Day celebration. The move to wear the number, similar to MLB’s celebration of Jackie Robinson’s No. 42

each April 15, started with the Pittsburgh Pirates https://apnews.com/f1548a799cc7a8ac7ae8cb6e0ec5b765 

Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming both the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be enshrined. His untimely death established the precedent that, as an alternative to the five-year retirement period, a player who has been deceased for at least six months is eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

Clemente was an All-Star for 13 seasons, playing in 15 All-Star Games.[b] He was the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1966, the NL batting leader in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967, and a Gold Glove Award winner for 12 consecutive seasons from 1961 through 1972. His batting average was over .300 for 13 seasons and he had 3,000 hits during his major league career. He also was a two-time World Series champion. Clemente is the first Latin American and Caribbean player to win a World Series as a starting position player (1960), to receive an NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971).

Clemente was involved in charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries during the off-seasons, often delivering baseball equipment and food to those in need. On December 31, 1972, he died in a plane crash at the age of 38 while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The following season, the Pirates retired his uniform number 21, and MLB renamed its annual Commissioner's Award in his honor; now known as the Roberto Clemente Award, it is given to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team".  https://sports.doseofnews.com/

His son and also my Tocayo, Roberto Clemente Jr said "We thank baseball fans and alike all around the world for the respect and admiration for our Father throughout the years. 21 will forever represent goodwill for humanity."

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