It was on April 15,1997, fifty years after Jackie Robinson would step onto a Major League baseball field, that then, Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig announced at then Shea Stadium home of the New York Mets, that from that day forward the number 42 would be retired by all 30 MLB teams. While a few players would continue to wear that number, by the time of his retirement in 2013, Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees would be the last player to wear that number.
While Robinson's number being retired is much due to his impact not just on the game of baseball, but also on society as a whole is rightfully awarded, so should another players number whose impact was similar to that of Robinson's was felt much more off the field by his philanthropic activities than on the ballfield. That player is Roberto Clemente.
Clemente who spent his entire 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972 saw him go from a little-known player playing in front of small crowds in Pittsburgh in the early years of his career, to winning the MVP in 1966 as well as winning the teams sole World Series in 1972 World Series and being named that years World Series MVP.
However, similar to the impact that Robinson had on the world during the 1950's and into the 60's, Clemente also held significant impact, this time to the Latin community both in the town he played for in Pittsburgh, as well as around the world.
Every off-season Clemente would fly back to his home in Puerto Rico and hold clinics for the town's youth, as well as deliver goods and medical supplies to the town and as well as it's surrounding neighbors.
It was on one of this trips that in the Winter of 1972, that just after his team had won that year's World Series and also saw Clemente win the World Series MVP, that he would board a plane along with four others and whose plane was filled with food, clothing, and medical supplies headed towards Nicaragua who had just suffered a massive earthquake. Sadly, however, Clemente's plane would never reach those whom Clemente was attempting to help as it would crash and go down into the Carribean Sea just beyond Puerto Rico. Clemente along with the other four other passengers on the plane's bodies would never be found.
Clemente would be post-humanely be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame that coming summer bypassing the customary five-year- waiting period, to on August 8th, becoming the first Latino ever inducted.
One of the ways that MLB has tried to continue to honor the life and legacy of Clemente, is that every year since 1971, two years prior to his death, an award has been awarded to one player who in the eyes of Major League Baseball along with the voting committee which includes fan, and the media and whose criteria is: that the player, "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship and community involvement and the specific individual's contribution to his team"
While this is a tremendous honor for the receiving player, It still in my opinion isn't enough to honor the life and legacy of Clemente.
I strongly believe that if Baseball, can both retire his number as well as recognize the life and the legacy that Jackie Robinson both had on and off the field of baseball, that they should do the same with Clemente whose impact was and is still felt more so off the field than on it, especially in the Latin communities throughout the world.
Since Clemente's final game of 1972 where he wore his number 21, for the final time, 18 players currently are wearing that number on their respective teams in 2018.
If we are to honor and recognize the life, and legacy of Jackie Robinson the way that we do, we should do the same with Clemente, and retire his number 21.
While Robinson's number being retired is much due to his impact not just on the game of baseball, but also on society as a whole is rightfully awarded, so should another players number whose impact was similar to that of Robinson's was felt much more off the field by his philanthropic activities than on the ballfield. That player is Roberto Clemente.
Clemente who spent his entire 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972 saw him go from a little-known player playing in front of small crowds in Pittsburgh in the early years of his career, to winning the MVP in 1966 as well as winning the teams sole World Series in 1972 World Series and being named that years World Series MVP.
However, similar to the impact that Robinson had on the world during the 1950's and into the 60's, Clemente also held significant impact, this time to the Latin community both in the town he played for in Pittsburgh, as well as around the world.
Every off-season Clemente would fly back to his home in Puerto Rico and hold clinics for the town's youth, as well as deliver goods and medical supplies to the town and as well as it's surrounding neighbors.
It was on one of this trips that in the Winter of 1972, that just after his team had won that year's World Series and also saw Clemente win the World Series MVP, that he would board a plane along with four others and whose plane was filled with food, clothing, and medical supplies headed towards Nicaragua who had just suffered a massive earthquake. Sadly, however, Clemente's plane would never reach those whom Clemente was attempting to help as it would crash and go down into the Carribean Sea just beyond Puerto Rico. Clemente along with the other four other passengers on the plane's bodies would never be found.
Clemente would be post-humanely be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame that coming summer bypassing the customary five-year- waiting period, to on August 8th, becoming the first Latino ever inducted.
One of the ways that MLB has tried to continue to honor the life and legacy of Clemente, is that every year since 1971, two years prior to his death, an award has been awarded to one player who in the eyes of Major League Baseball along with the voting committee which includes fan, and the media and whose criteria is: that the player, "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship and community involvement and the specific individual's contribution to his team"
While this is a tremendous honor for the receiving player, It still in my opinion isn't enough to honor the life and legacy of Clemente.
I strongly believe that if Baseball, can both retire his number as well as recognize the life and the legacy that Jackie Robinson both had on and off the field of baseball, that they should do the same with Clemente whose impact was and is still felt more so off the field than on it, especially in the Latin communities throughout the world.
Since Clemente's final game of 1972 where he wore his number 21, for the final time, 18 players currently are wearing that number on their respective teams in 2018.
If we are to honor and recognize the life, and legacy of Jackie Robinson the way that we do, we should do the same with Clemente, and retire his number 21.
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