Courtesy: Pittsburgh Quarterly
PITTSBURGH, PA (PTTP) – On Thursday, April 17th, Pennsylvania celebrated the legacy of a baseball icon.
70 years ago on April 17th, Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente recorded his first major league hit, and Senator Jay Costa has officially declared that day as Roberto Clemente Day in Pennsylvania. Clemente, at just 20 years old, made his first hit in the first game of a doubleheader against the Brooklyn Dodgers, batting third.
Clemente wasn’t just a Hall-of-Famer on the field – he was a hero off of it. Known for his cannon of an arm in right field and his 3,000 career hits, Clemente broke barriers as one of the first Latino superstars in Major League Baseball, paving the pathway for future Latino stars.
Clemente is remembered just as much for his humanitarian efforts. On New Year’s Eve in 1972, Clemente died in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua, showing that his legacy has lived on through generations.
Senator Costa states that this official recognition is long overdue – and hopes that Roberto Clemente Day will become an annual tradition, inspiring young athletes and citizens to carry on his legacy and mission of service.
Roberto Clemente Jr. threw out an honorary first pitch in yesterday’s game against the Washington Nationals. As the Pirates take the field this entire week, fans won’t just be cheering for a win, they’ll be honoring the man who showed the world what it truly means to lead by example.