PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates worked to honor the legacy of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente on Tuesday, designated Roberto Clemente Day by Major League Baseball. What the team said about their role in paying it forward to honor The Great One.
“I think everybody who puts on the Pirates uniform understands the magnitude of what he meant not just as a player, but as a humanitarian,” said Pirates president Travis Williams. “They really take that seriously.”
Those aren’t empty words, it seems to have reached the players, even those in their first season in Pittsburgh.
“Hey, it’s a big day around the league, but especially for us,” said Pirates Ryan O’Hearn. “It’s a great opportunity to serve.”
“As a player, you can look at that however you want. It’s a 6:40p game, I was here at 9 o’clock this morning, but bigger than that is you are giving your time to something that matters. For me that kind of hits home, great opportunity to show up and serve and be of some use to the community and not just on the baseball field.”
“It shows it’s always bigger than baseball to be able to get in your community and make an impact,” said rookie Konnor Griffin.
Many of the Pirates were at PNC Park early to put together food bags for veterans, some went to schools in Avalon and Bellevue to talk with students about mental health and others to refurbish youth baseball and softball fields in McKeesport and Clairton.
“It’s a great disconnect from the game, being able to impact our communities,” said Pirates AAA pitcher Connor Wietgrefe, as the Bucs had a representative from every franchise minor league team to be a part of the day. “All of these fans are coming out to support us, being able to give them as much impact as we can, it’s great.”
Williams and Roberto Clemente, Junior said the interest and participation in Roberto Clemente Day grows every year. Junior has a good idea of why.
“We are looking for something positive,” Clemente, Junior said. “When we talk about Clemente it’s always a positive energy of goodwill, being able to help. When you hear that name, it’s a reminder, we are here to help other people. It’s a positive energy we always feel.”
“Obviously an unbelievable baseball player on the field, but an even more incredible human being off the field,” Williams said. “That is important for the Pirates organization to carry that through in our daily lives when we are out there in the community.”
“Great player, Hall of Famer, but Hall of Famer off the field as well,” said O’Hearn. “A guy that everyone who wears a Pirates uniform can look up to and follow the same footsteps he did.”
“The family connection is strong there,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “You know, with my father-in-law and him helping load the plane with Roberto. I get chills every time I think about it. I think the thing that stands out to me is just that. You know how good of a baseball player he was and it's just the legacy of who he was as a man that lives on.”
“You always hear how good of a teammate, how good of a person he was,” Griffin said. “You have the baseball side of it and he was good enough to hopefully retire his number one day. It’s pretty cool to represent him today and do it with pride.”
“First time I saw him cry was on Roberto Clemente Night in 1970, when the Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium,” Clemente, Junior said. “Today, I know he’s looking down with another tear because he’s proud of what his organization has done in his name.”
‘It’s a big day around the league, but especially for us’
‘It’s a big day around the league, but especially for us’
