In the eyes of the son, Clemente’s legacy is stronger than ever
By Charlie Vascellaro
As we get ready for induction weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, there’s been a buzz around the Clemente name again, 45 years after Roberto Clemente’s tragic death.
Clemente, the first Latin American enshrined at Cooperstown and the patron saint of Latino baseball, was honored during a pregame ceremony at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Miami.
Clemente’s widow, Vera, and three sons — Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique — stood in for the ballplayer, surrounded by the other Puerto Ricans in the Hall of Fame — Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar and Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, whose bronze plaque will go up this weekend — and fellow legends Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez and Pedro Martínez during a moving ceremony that honored the Latino influence on the game.
The family also made news with an auction of the Pirate great’s collectibles — a sale that netted several million dollars during the MLB All-Star FanFest.
Clemente Jr., the oldest of the three sons, is back in Pittsburgh, the city that was the second home to his father, who played his entire 18-year career with the Pirates. And Clemente’s presence is found everywhere in the Steel City.
Start with PNC Park, which opened in 2001. The right field wall rises to a height of 21 feet, in honor of Clemente’s iconic uniform number, while the Roberto Clemente Memorial Park on the other side of the wall features a bronze relief in Clemente’s image.
With the Pittsburgh skyline as a dramatic backdrop, the Roberto Clemente Bridge — formerly the Sixth Street Bridge — connects PNC Park with downtown. The bridge is closed to traffic before and after games, serving as a grand walkway to the ballpark.
Clemente Jr. frequently visits The Clemente Museum, where his mother Vera sits on the board of directors. A private institution opened to the public by appointment only and located just a few miles from PNC Ballpark, the museum houses a vast collection of artifacts and memorabilia dedicated to No. 21. It also features a room dedicated to Panamanian catcher Manny Sanguillén, who was Clemente’s best friend on the Pirates.
La Vida Baseball caught up with Clemente Jr., himself a former ballplayer, at the museum to speak about his father’s lasting legacy and influence.
LVB: Among the current young stars from Puerto Rico, who do you enjoy watching the most?
Clemente Jr.: “I think that [Carlos] Correa — obviously being a first-round pick [in 2012] — has had a lot more pressure than any of those guys right now, and being the first [No. 1 pick] to come out of Puerto Rico, he had to prove himself, and he has done that very well. He’s only going to grow. He’s going to get stronger; he’s going to get better. All of them are great, but I think that Correa has just had a little bit more pressure to prove himself — and he’s done that.”
LVB: How much did you enjoy watching Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic?
Clemente Jr.: “I’m very proud. I actually have a story, because I believe that their loss [in the finals] is my fault. I totally believe so. I wanted to get to the ballpark early because I had some T-shirts — T-shirts with the Puerto Rican team colors and No. 21. [So] they would be wearing 21 under their jerseys.
“I wanted to make sure that they wore them under their uniforms for good luck. But I could not get to the ballpark in time. They were expecting the T-shirts. And I felt so bad because I know that would have been an extra little boost to have Dad on the field with them. I had a feeling that, for those guys, it was that important a game and that they really wanted to win. I never got there. It was not my fault, but I feel guilty and responsible that they didn’t have that 10th player — my dad — on the field.
“Their success showed how much talent Puerto Rico has. For the last several years, we’ve had issues here with the Puerto Rican League and winter ball declining, but the talent is absolutely fantastic and I think that [the WBC] really excited a lot of young kids on the island. I think that it helped very much. The [players] need to continue to get [the kids] to look up to them and get them playing ball and hopefully continue striving to get to the major leagues.”
LVB: The Clemente Museum exhibits one of your father’s suits. Was he concerned with fashion or style?
Clemente Jr.: “He was very stylish; he was ahead of his time. He was a guy that really liked fashion. He liked to dress and really present himself as representing not only the Puerto Rican people, but really Latin Americans — and that’s why there are not many pictures of him wearing short-sleeve shirts or walking out of the ballpark without a suit because that was his profession. He really wanted to make sure that he looked like a professional and was treated that way as well.”
LVB: Talking about looking professional, which current player from Puerto Rico reminds you most of your father on and off the field?
Clemente Jr.: “On and off the field, I can tell you there is one guy in particular that I believe has proven himself year in and year out, and that is a gentleman named Carlos Beltrán.
“Carlos has absolutely taken care of business on the field, but most importantly he has done an amazing job of really caring for others off the field. He’s one of those guys that has always been really in tune with what’s going on around him and really given back to kids and taken care of others.
“There are some young players who are doing great on and off the field, but for me, Beltrán has been a guy that has really kept that legacy going. He’s a guy that has carried the torch for Puerto Rico when it comes to representing our island.”
LVB: How would you describe your father’s enduring legacy after all these years?
Clemente Jr.: “It is stronger. It’s amazing that every single year there are more fields, more schools, more leagues, more kids learning about him in school. There is a younger generation learning about Roberto Clemente not only here and in Puerto Rico, but across the [United States]. Obviously, he was very young when he passed away, but what he accomplished in his 38 years is still growing.
“It’s something that I don’t think any other player in history has been able to accomplish. I have a buddy of mine, a partner of mine who’s from New York, and he came to Pittsburgh several weeks ago. I took him to a game. He’s a big Yankees fan and he said, ‘Roberto, no Yankee has that out in the seats with the fans wearing their numbers. They wear the numbers of the younger and current players. But in Pittsburgh, it’s No. 21 and that 21 is alive. Everywhere you look, you see 21.’ I think that having the fans in Pittsburgh and seeing the love that’s still there, it’s pretty amazing.”
Featured Image: Duane Rieder / The Clemente Museum
Inset Image: Charlie Vascellaro