Clemente tribute just a start

PITTSBURGH — Roberto Clemente’s legacy in Pittsburgh and his native Puerto Rico is secure.

The club the Hall of Fame outfielder spent two decades playing for is trying to ensure that legacy — both on and off the field — is acknowledged regularly by the masses.

The Pirates announced Tuesday that all players and coaches will wear Clemente’s No. 21 when the Pirates host the White Sox on Sept. 9. It’s a move Clemente’s family and the organization hope is a step toward having Major League Baseball retire his number as it did with Jackie Robinson’s No. 47 in 1997, a half-century after Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier.

“I feel that this is just the beginning,” said Luis Clemente, the second of Clemente’s three sons. “... It’s so exciting ... that it was approved. It is a platform to continue to grow on it. So we’re very happy and thankful to MLB for this.”

Clemente collected 3,000 hits during his 18year career while helping the Pirates win a pair of World Series titles. He died in a plane crash Dec. 31, 1972, at age 38 while attempting to bring humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The team retired Clemente’s number before the start of the 1973 season.

The importance of slipping a No. 21 jersey over his shoulders isn’t lost on current Pirates third base coach Joey Cora, a Puerto Rico native and former major leaguer.

“To honor Roberto Clemente, not only the player but the person, it’s a huge, huge honor,” Cora said.

AP FILE The Pirates will honor the late Roberto Clemente when they wear his No. 21 on Sept. 9.