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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Clemente's Number Retired Throughout The MLB??




According to an article in The New York Sun, written by BENJAMIN SARLIN, ex Pirate Roberto Clemente's number will be retired from all of baseball. Clemente was one of the most accomplished baseball players of his generation, winning World Series rings in 1960 and 1971, an MVP award in 1966, and making 12 all-star appearances over 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Clemente helped lay the groundwork for the many Latino baseball stars that followed him. After he died in 1972 in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua, he became the first Latino player to be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Every year Major League Baseball honors a player who has distinguished himself through volunteer work with the Roberto Clemente Award in honor of the late ballplayer's humanitarian efforts. Currently about a dozen active players wear Clemente's number 21, including Mets star Carlos Delgado, who is also from Puerto Rico, Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis, and Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young. Several people that are involved in the Jackie Robinson foundation and family members of Robinson want Robinson to be the only one that has their number retired throughout the Major Leagues. We will see what will become of this. Hopefully it will be retired so at least something positive will come from the Pirates organization.

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