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Last Updated: Jan 30th, 2008 - 12:43:31 |
PHILADELPHIA - SECOND CITY TO PASS RESOLUTION TO RETIRE #21 & INVITE TO PARADE
By LSV News Service
Oct 1, 2007, 21:15
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Philadelphia, PA: The city of brotherly love has become the second city in America to pass a city council resolution to urge major league’s baseball commissioner, Bud Seelig to retire Roberto Clemente’s number 21 from all of baseball.
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| Retire 21 Campaign participating in the Philli parade. (Photo LSV) |
Philadelphia Councilman José Ramos introduced the resolution and it passed unanimously. Thus, Philadelphia has joined Chicago, Illinois as the second city in America to pass a resolution to retire Clemente’s #21. This work is part of the support that the campaign has received from the National Boricua Human Rights Network.
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| Julio Pabón, LSV President & Retire 21 Cahirperson being interviewed on La Mega in Philli. (Photo LSV) |
Philadelphia has a history with Roberto Clemente, it was the first city in America to have a public institution named for the legendary Pirate baseball player and humanitarian who lost his life on a mercy mission to deliver supplies to Nicaragua on December 31st, 2002. Back in early 1973 several months after Clemente lost his life on that fatal plane crash, Puerto Rican organizers in Philadelphia convinced the mayor, Frank Rizzo to name a park, located on 18th and Logan Circle, Roberto Clemente Park. Mayor Rizzo gave his full support to the idea and thus on August 28th, 2003 a ceremony was held to officially name the park after Clemente.
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| (Lft. to rht) Councilman Juan Ramos, Julio Pabón & State Representative, |
One has to remember that Philadelphia is a city in the state of Pennsylvania where Clemente played for 18 seasons. Though Clemente played for the rival, Pittsburg Pirates at the other end of the state, the large Puerto Rican population in Philadelphia was always a strong supporter of Clemente. “I remember my father and many uncles taking us out to the old Phillies stadium every time the Pirates came to play. We would sit in the farthest section of the stadium by right field just to be close and talk to Clemente,” stated council Ramos in his weekly radio talk show.
Philadelphia was also the second city to invite Latino Sports President, Julio Pabón to be Honorary Grand Marshall of its Puerto Rican Day Parade, Chicago was the first. Julio attended the Saturday night banquet festivities and spoke as the Chairperson of the Retire 21 campaign.
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| Grand Marshall of the Parade, Ana Ortiz, star of the TV comedy Ugly Betty poses with Julio Pabón the Honorary Grand Marshall representing the Retire 21 Campaign. (Photo LSV) |
Many contacts and potential supporters were made at both, the banquet and the parade where other elected officials promised to help pass a statewide resolution calling for # 21 to be retired and where others agreed to help find sponsors to bring the documentary film on Clemente, The Legacy of #21 back for a second showing.
Ana Ortiz, the female Grand Marshal of the parade and one of the stars of the hit TV show, Ugly Betty also agreed to support the Retire 21 movement by spreading the news out in Los Angeles, California.
© Copyright 2006 by LatinoSports.com
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