MLB players will be wearing #21 to honor Hall of Fame legend and former Pittsburgh Pirate great Roberto Clemente during Wednesday’s games (AP News file photo)

Roberto Clemente, A Man for All Seasons

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

MLB is honoring Roberto Clemente today, on Roberto Clemente Day. All players born in Puerto Rico can wear Clemente’s famous Number 21 during the game today. For the Oakland A’S Vimael Machín the rookie shortstop will be wearing #21 during tonight’s game at 6:10PM against the Houston Astros at the Oakland Coliseum.

It was on September 30, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh when Clemente was hitting .311 and playing the New York Mets, that he got his 3,000 hit. I was against lefty Mets hurler Jon Matlack, who won the National League rookie of the year. That day, the last of the regular season, Clemente joined only three (at that time) who reached 3,000. They were Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Stan Musial.

Roberto Clemente was the first Latin-American player to reach the magical number, one that basically guarantees induction to the Hall of Fame, which he was after his tragic death on December 31, 1972 as he chartered DC-3 plane filled with help to the suffering people of the Managua, Nicaragua earthquake disappeared north of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Clemente, a world-renowned humanitarian, lives forever in the minds of the people of Puerto Rico and all Latin-American baseball countries to this day. Many of Roberto’s artifacts are on exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Last time I visited in 2009, my favorite was the scouting report of Roberto, prior to his signing in the major leagues.

The narration of his 3,00 hit is also in Cooperstown, in the voice of my mentor and Hall of Fame announcer Rafael(Felo)Ramírez, with whom it was a dream come true to work with during a few Postseasons in thr 1990’s for radio networks in the US and Latinamerica.

In an exclusive interview with Clemente’s teammate, catcher Manny Sanguillen (published on this website) he told me about his friendship with Roberto and how much he still misses him, 48 years ago.

Roberto Clemente was a proud man with God-given talents and a kind man to all who knew him. Roberto was inducted in The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame, founded in San Francisco in 1998. He still is the inspiration to every young Puerto Rican boy that hopes to make it to the major leagues.

Just like MLB retired Jackie Robinson’s #42; someday they will also retire Roberto Clemente’s #21. It would only be fair, especially on a sport where the largest minorities in MLB, around 30-percent of the players are Hispanic. Roberto Clemente is a man for all seasons.

Stay well and stay tune.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com