Honor Roberto Clemente

Legendary for his prowess on the baseball field as well as for his humanitarian work off the field, Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker of the Pittsburgh Pirates left a legacy rich with excellence and generosity. His time on earth was cut short by a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972, when he was on a flight delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Problems with the plane caused it to crash into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from an airfield in Loiza, Puerto Rico, killing the 38year-old Puerto Rico native and four other people.

Now Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is seeking to honor the much decorated baseball Hall of Famer. Along with city Councilman Corey O’Connor, Mr. Peduto has petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to recognize Clemente’s death place in Loiza by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.

Commemorating the beginning of things is important, but so too is reflecting on endings. Clemente’s life serves as a sterling example of what a man with good intentions can accomplish even in an all-too-short life. Assigning the area of his watery grave prestigious status will honor his memory and further add to the bridge between Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh, each of which were key locales in Clemente’s life.

The former Pirate’s presence still is felt throughout the city: on the Sixth Street Bridge connecting Downtown to PNC Park, his statue on the North Side, the museum dedicated to his memory in Lawrenceville. His community efforts and free youth clinics and humanitarian efforts led to the Commissioner’s Award, which recognizes players for sportsmanship and community involvement, being renamed as the Roberto Clemente Award.

Mr. Peduto and Mr. O’Connor are right to push for this sort of recognition, and the Department of the Interior should honor the petition forthwith.