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Last Updated: Jan 30th, 2008 - 12:43:31 |
ALL-STAR THOUGHTS ON RETIRING NUMBER 21
By Danny Torres
Jul 12, 2006, 10:36
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Pittsburgh, PA- Whether you support retiring the legendary Pirate, Roberto Clemente’s number throughout baseball or feel that distinction deserves to only have a lone representative; the ongoing debate continues to draw millions who have expressed their personal thoughts. Prior to this years’ All-Star extravaganza, a number of baseball personalities, reporters and celebrities at PNC Park were simply asked to state their personal thoughts to LatinoSports.com:
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| ROBERTO CLEMENTE STATUE OUTSIDE PNC PARK SCULPTOR: SUSAN WAGNER CREDIT WILLIAM GERENA /LSV |
Danny Torres: There’s a grass-roots movement growing throughout the country on whether Roberto Clemente’s number should be retired throughout Major League Baseball. What are your thoughts on this question?
Bert Sugar (Boxing Historian/Author): “I think Roberto Clemente deserves it. We deserve the memory of Clemente. In all honesty, he did as much for Latino players as Jackie Robinson did for African-American players. Although he wasn’t the first, he certainly was the one who led. Clemente was probably one of the most underestimated ballplayers in the history of baseball. This game honors its past. Clemente is deserving with a capital ‘D’.”
Lou Piniella (Yankee great/former manager): “It’s not a bad idea. He had a great career and was a great ambassador for the game of baseball. I think it would be a wonderful gesture by baseball. Anytime, you retire a number, it’s a difficult decision. But truthfully, the commissioner is well within his power to do that. You have to remember when Roberto died he was doing things for people.”
Tim McCarver (FOX SPORTS analyst): “I think if Clemente’s number was retired, it would be a great thing for baseball and a deserving thing for baseball. I think he gave to the Latin community as much or if not as more than anybody else. Nobody is going to touch Jackie Robinson for the inroads he made.”
Tom Singer (MLB.com): “I’m totally for it. Not just because he was my all-time favorite, but he really was at the vanguard of the Latino revolution. He did so much, not only for baseball but for the recognition and dignity of all Americans. Some people feel that it would take away from Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Who says two men representing different aspects of humanity cannot share that honor? To say that one would take away from the other is missing the point by a long shot.”
Ozzie Smith (St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame ‘02): “Well, growing up as a Roberto Clemente fan, I’m certainly for retiring his number and I’m sure it will one day happen.”
Dean Cain (Actor/producer): “I happen to sign a petition to retire number ‘21’ and I think it’s pretty outstanding. Clearly a player of that caliber, their reach extends beyond baseball. I think it’s a fitting and appropriate number to retire. I can’t see why Roberto’s number couldn’t be retired in the same way. I completely support it.”
Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame ’89): “He was the one example. He was trying to go to Nicaragua to help the suffering. He was a beautiful man. Funny, I would be in the locker room when we played together in Puerto Rico and he would say, “Oh…my back is killing me. Then he would go out there and run hard. He played the game like you would want everyone in the world to play the game of baseball. Seeing his number retired, that’s no problem for me.”
Chuck Tanner (Former Pirate manager ’79 World Series champs): “I think it should be retired. I saw him do things that were unbelievable. He gave his heart and never once did he not run hard. Never once did he not try to make a play. One day, I hit a homerun. It looked as if it was going into the fourth row in Wrigley Field and the game would be over. The wind was blowing in from right field. Everyone was walking off the field and he went back to wall. He was looking up and the wind blew the ball back in. He caught it just like that and we lost the game. The things that he did prior to his death should be included in all the great things he did in his life for everyone to remember for the next 100 years.”
© Copyright 2006 by LatinoSports.com
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