Clemente’s legacy to be feted again
Pirates want oufielder honored in a ‘bigger and grander’ fashion
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates made headlines and history last season when they received permission for the entire team to wear No. 21 Sept. 9, celebrating Roberto Clemente Day in a creative way that was championed by manager Derek Shelton.
Although team president Travis Williams declined to go into specifics, the Pirates have petitioned Major League Baseball to allow them to do the same thing in 2021, and perhaps even expand on how they honor “The Great One.”
“That’s ultimately a league decision, but it’s certainly something that we’ve communicated to them, that we would love to see that happen,” Williams said of Pirates players donning Clemente’s number as a group.
In addition to the Pirates, MLB authorized all Puerto Rican-born players to wear No. 21 last season, an emotional tribute for a group of players who consider Clemente their version of Jackie Robinson.
Besides wearing No. 21, the Clemente Day logo appeared on bases and lineup cards throughout MLB, while the Pirates painted “21” on the pitching mound at PNC Park and stenciled it into the rightfield grass.
Before their game that day — an 8-1 loss to the White Sox — the Pirates celebrated Josh Bell, their Clemente Award nominee, while also observing a moment of silence for Roberto’s late wife, Vera.
While it seems unlikely MLB would deny the Pirates’ request to do all of this again, this time with fans in the stands, the club remains steadfast in wanting to explore new ways to celebrate Clemente’s immense legacy.
“Given what he means not only to us as an organization, but what he means to the game of baseball, and in particular to those Latin players,” Williams said, “we would love to see him honored in a bigger and grander way.”
Great outdoors
Williams spent 11 years with the Penguins and is intimately familiar with bringing high-level hockey events such as outdoor games to Pittsburgh.
While we’ve seen two at Heinz Field, PNC Park has never played host toan outdoor hockey game, despite the fact that it would sell out in about 30 seconds if the NHL ever decided to stage one there.
Is that something that interests Williams? Well, yeah, but Williams also said the Pirates have had discussions with several groups about bringing special events to PNC Park.
“We were close at one point,” Williams said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t isolate it just to an outdoor game. There are lots of different types of events that would be really cool in the setting of PNC Park, with the background of the city skyline and that beautiful view looking over the river. That is one example of many that we are looking to host.
“We are actively in discussions with some different events, not necessarily the NHL, so I don’t want to start that rumor. We are actively in discussions with different organizations and organizing bodies about the potential of putting events in PNC
Park. Coming to see other events, whether they be concerts or shows or other types of sporting events that can fit in the contours of PNC Park would be fascinating and exciting.”
Dominican upgrades
Williams insisted several times Wednesday that while the COVID-19 pandemic certainly impacted the Pirates as a business, it did not affect how they approached their newfound plan in baseball operations.
The Pirates payroll dropped because of their big-picture plan, Williams argued, which is a nicer way of saying they don’t have enough talent right now to make spending a bunch of money on the major league product truly worth it.
“Suffice to say, it was a significant impact, but it did not impact or change that we have a clear direction in baseball operations,” Williams said. “We have a clear direction on the business side, and we are doing everything we can to continue to move forward with that plan and execute that plan in order to bring a championship-caliber team to Pittsburgh.”
Part of that, Williams explained, involves spending more in the Dominican Republic, something that ties back to what owner Bob Nutting said when he and Williams did rounds of media interviews after the latter was hired.
Nutting said he wasn’t happy with what the Pirates have been doing in the Dominican and apparently has spent money trying to fix that.
“Over the course of this pandemic, despite the fact that a lot of things were shutting down, one thing that didn’t was our continued investment in the Dominican,” Williams said. “We’ve put in several millions of dollars in expansion of the Dominican Republic academy. It allowed us to actually double the size and double the number of coaches and players that we’re able to host there.”
In addition to baseball-related enhancements, Williams said the Pirates have upgraded the performance and training areas at the complex, as well as the nutrition program and the dormitory/hospitality component for players who spend more time there.
The Pirates also have invested in the education and assimilation programs that they run in conjunction with their headquarters at Pirate City, helping foreign players learn English in hope of having an easier time coming to the United States to play.
“This will allow us to have an even greater and more significant impact, not only on the lives of those in the Dominican Republic and these young players, but also an increased and enhanced focus on international talent,” Williams said. “I think the league is moving there. We’re certainly moving there. And I think that as we’re doing that, the academy will continue to allow us to do what the Pirates did early on in this space, but continue to build on that and do it in an even more enhanced and greater way.”