On September 9th, MLB honored Roberto Clemente as they have the previous 17th seasons.Roberto Clemente “The Great One” was celebrated around baseball with all players wearing a #21 patch on their sleeves.His team the Pittsburgh Pirates all wore his #21. Puerto Rican players were allowed to wear 21 to signify their connection to Clemente.
Roberto was born on August 18, 1934. He made his major league debut with the Pirates on April 17, 1955 vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers.Constantly involved in charity work off the field and during the off-season in Latin America and the Carribean.It was in these endeavours, on his way to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua his plane crashed killing all on board on December 31, 1972.
During his 18 year career, he had a .317 batting average, 3000 hits, and 240 home runs. He was a 15 time all-star, NL and World Series MVP, as well as a 4 time batting champion.He was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame, the 5 year waiting period being waived and a 6 month deceased criteria being put in place.In addition to his induction in 1973, the Pirates retired his number and the MLB changed the Commissioner’s Award to the Roberto Clemente Award.The award is given to the player who best exemplifies the game, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual’s contribution to the team.All things connected to and ensuring the legacy of Roberto Clemente.