Even if Major League Baseball won’t do it, the Altoona Curve apparently will.
The Pirates’ Double-A affiliate announced on Thursday that it would hold Roberto Clemente Night on Friday at Peoples Natural Gas Field and officially retire the Great One’s No. 21.
The ceremony will take place at approximately 5:40 p.m., prior to a game against the Reading Fightin Phils. There will be a 21 plaque unveiled in right field, hung 21 feet above the ground, while representatives from the Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh will be there with a game-used bat, jerseys and other memorabilia.
“We are very honored that this great organization is retiring our father’s number,” Roberto Clemente Jr. told the Post-Gazette. “This can be an educational piece for those fans or anyone who doesn’t know the story of Roberto Clemente. They may take a look at the number and ask why it’s retired. We’re very happy that they took this initiative to retire 21. We thank them greatly.”
Clemente’s number was retired by the Pirates in 1973 and is not worn by any of the team’s affiliates. But it is not technically retired by MLB — although there’s a sizable group of people who believe it should be.
Clemente won four batting titles and was named league MVP in 1966 and World Series MVP in 1971. In 2,433 career games, he had 3,000 hits, 240 home runs, 1,305 RBIs and a .317 average.
MLB does hold a Roberto Clemente Day every September, when the league honors the 15-time All-Star who died tragically in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972.
“Roberto Clemente is one of the most impactful people in the Pirates rich history, a tradition we are thrilled to help write each season in Altoona,” said Curve general manager Nate Bowen in a statement announcing the move.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: July 13, 2023, 7:10 p.m.
Updated: July 13, 2023, 8:45 p.m.
