Back to the Homeland with El Profe: Day Two
By Adrian Burgos
Day Two: Crisscrossing Puerto Rico
What a day! We covered nearly the entirety of the northern portion of Puerto Rico, starting with an interview with two-time All-Star Carlos Delgado in Dorado. I then drove out to the western coast to Aguadilla in the afternoon before returning to Carolina (the hometown of Roberto Clemente) for dinner.
“We all became disaster relief organizations.”
Delgado’s words stuck with me. He was thoughtful and humble, while also exuding a kind of pride in being part of an authentically Puerto Rican response to the devastation caused by Hurricane María.
The Aguadilla native didn’t want to take credit for having done anything more than what fellow Puerto Ricans would have done as a good neighbor. Indeed, throughout the interview at the office of his Extra Bases Foundation he was quick to share the credit with the many others who responded.
Yet, he deserves so much credit. His foundation was heavily involved in distributing food, water and other relief supplies, especially in the high mountain regions inland where the need persisted.
When I pressed him further about his role in the response, Delgado answered that what he is proud of the number of organizations from the United States and other countries that donated funds and relief supplies for Extra Bases to distribute.
An Afternoon of Clemente
After finishing the interview with Delgado in Dorado, the La Vida team headed to Aguadilla. The beautiful coastal town was not only where Delgado had grown up, it was also the site of the last baseball clinic Roberto Clemente ever conducted.
Just four days before Clemente boarded the ill-fated flight to take relief supplies to Nicaragua he was at Aguadilla’s Parque Colón hosting a baseball clinic for local kids. The clinic was held at the ballpark named after Cristobal Colón (Christopher Columbus) whose ships landed nearby in November 1493.
Parque Colón is now in great disrepair. Long gone are the days when the park was home to the Tiburones de Aguadilla (Aguadilla Sharks) of the Puerto Rican Winter League. But the stone plaque commemorating the 1972 clinic conducted by Clemente is still visible on the outside of the stadium.
The visit to Aguadilla was brief. In fact, it was much shorter than the hour-and-a-half drive from Dorado or the two hours plus back across the island to Carolina.
For dinner, the La Vida team was treated to a traditional, home-cooked Puerto Rican meal at the home of Justino Clemente, the lone surviving sibling of Roberto Clemente.
The setting for the dinner was just as stunning. The Clementes prepared a table in a room dedicated to keeping the memory of Roberto alive. We were surrounded by original posters, photos, and other artifacts from the Great One’s playing days as well as events paying homage to Clemente.
The arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), pernil (roast pork), and pastele prepared by the Clemente family was absolutely delicious.
It was the perfect ending to a long day.
Featured Image: La Vida Baseball
Inset Images: La Vida Baseball