Roberto Clemente Jr. has certainly heard the calls for Major League Baseball to retire his dad’s iconic No. 21.
He appreciates them, too.
However, the Clemente vision hardly stops there, Roberto Jr. emphasized during a recent interview with the Post-Gazette.
If anything, what the Roberto Clemente Foundation and family of the iconic Pirates outfielder will do this week in and around Pittsburgh illustrates the gigantic net they’re hoping to cast.
And not just baseball, obviously.
This summer, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives adopted a resolution to make Sept. 15 Roberto Clemente Day across the Commonwealth, matching what MLB did in 2021 to align the special day with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Clemente Jr. believes it won’t be long before the federal government turns remembering “The Great One” into a national holiday.
“We hear a lot about ‘Retire 21,’ ”he said, referencing a push that has been made by everyone from fans to Pirates brass. “We’re very honored that all these people are pushing, and it’s great. But for me, baseball kind of comes secondary when you talk about what the Clemente name means.
“Dad would be honored in a big way if he’s representing all Latinos on the civil side, not just the baseball side.”
Clemente said he’s recently been in discussions with U.S. Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-Puerto Rico) about pushing to expand Roberto Clemente Day beyond its current scope.
In Clemente’s mind, doing so would give Latinos a holiday to call their own and would serve as a day for everyone to embrace and appreciate culture, community and all the positive things for which his father stood.
“No disrespect toward baseball, but baseball is kind secondary to what the name means when people hear the name,” he said.
In addition to growing Sept. 15, there are also plans in the works for a Clemente statue to be installed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., furthering what Clemente feels like has been a significant recent push.
“After talking with some people, they are agreeing with me,” he said. “This may have some legs.”
There will certainly be plenty of events happening locally.
For the first time ever, the foundation’s annual gala will occur in Pittsburgh, not to mention a youth baseball clinic and a 2.1K charity walk.
“It’s always great to be in Pittsburgh, which welcomed mom [Vera] and dad, my brothers and I many years ago,” Luis Clemente said. “We’re looking forward to an exciting weekend of activities.”
The dinner is Thursday at the Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and will include a reception, silent and live auctions, entertainment and recognition of individuals and organizations.
There will also be a temporary display of rare Clemente artifacts and photos, plus the presentation of a pair of newly established Roberto Clemente scholarships.
Clemente Day itself will feature various service projects throughout the region, including Pirates staffers, coaches and players and focusing on youth baseball/softball, cancer support, military appreciation and mental health.
“Worldwide, he's known as an unbelievable humanitarian, but it's a little more deeply rooted here, where we have a deeper appreciation for it,” David Bednar said. “What he achieved on the field and off the field, we try to continue that legacy and honor it as best we can.”
The afternoon (at 2 p.m.) will feature an unveiling of a permanent marker at the location of home plate at Three Rivers Stadium (current Gold Lot 1A), the evening a game against the Yankees, which will obviously be loaded with Clemente appreciation.
But the new stuff is what should make this Clemente Day special.
There’s currently a photo exhibit outside of PNC Park titled “3000,” which includes a variety of black-and-white images captured by veteran photojournalist Luis Ramos.
Pulling from the archives of Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia, the collection of photos is displayed in such a way that it’s designed to reveal the number 3,000 from a distance.
The exhibit, here from San Juan, includes unpublished images of behind-the-scenes moments from Sept. 30, 1972, when Clemente joined the 3,000-hit club. If you look straight down at the yellow landmarks, they form the number 3,000. Inside of each features poignant Clemente moments.
“It kind of took my breath away,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think you guys all know the affinity I have and the passion for wearing 21. It was very cool to see.”
Following a Q&A session Saturday with Clemente family members inside Pitt’s Posvar Hall, there will be a youth baseball clinic at West Field in Munhall, where participants will hear about life skills and community service.
The walk will begin inside PNC Park, along the outfield riverwalk and travel along the Allegheny River before concluding at the Clemente Statue on Federal Street.
“We’re very excited to make an impact on the young people here in Pittsburgh ... and to continue to do it,” Clemente Jr. said. “Once we start [the new events], we’re going to be coming every year.”
Bigger and better each time, it seems.
“Dad played for the Pirates and is from Puerto Rico, but it went beyond that,” he said. “I think we need to celebrate that in a big way.
“It would be the biggest honor you could have as a civilian and someone who has left so much of a legacy for our culture and our society. Having Roberto Clemente Day honor more than baseball would be fitting.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: September 13, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: September 13, 2023, 4:45 p.m.
