NEW YORK, NY — For today’s edition of “21 Days of Clemente,” Latino Sports looks back at what active Major League Baseball players and managers had to say about Roberto Clemente, known as “The Great One.”
“He truly believed in making the world better and he died doing it. He was always trying to make the world a better place, and when you’re from Puerto Rico, you have a little bit of that in your DNA. You try to find ways to help people.” -New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (two-time LatinoMVP Award winner)
“He set the standard for what it was to be a complete player. And that’s something I try to model my game after. The 3,000 hits is impressive, the batting average, the home run numbers. But, honestly, I’m jealous of the Gold Gloves.” -New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (2023 Roberto Clemente Award recipient)
“Every time he put on his uniform he felt like the luckiest man in the world, so that for me is what I admire most.” -Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa (2017 World Series champion)
“When I think of Roberto Clemente, I think of the best player of all time for Puerto Rico. I wasn’t born at that moment, but from everything I heard he’s one of the greatest baseball players ever. My grandma told me when he died, everyone was crying in Puerto Rico.” -Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz (two-time LatinoMVP Reliever of the Year)
“The guy was, I always said a Hall of Famer as a baseball player, but there has to be something bigger than the Hall of Fame up there and he’s part of that.” -Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (2018 World Series champion)
“I read a lot about Roberto Clemente and how he was an amazing player. Something that touched me is the way he helped people outside the field.” -Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Pérez (2024 Roberto Clemente Award winner and 2015 World Series champion)
“He’s the rockstar in Puerto Rico, a Hall of Famer on and off the field. Every baseball player or baseball fan knows about him and the history behind him. He helped a lot of people, not only in Puerto Rico, but a lot in Latin America. He created and opened a lot of doors for us so we can follow his steps and keep doing what he did. He’s our role model.” -Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos (2019 AL LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year)
“It’s Roberto Clemente. If you’re a baseball fan, you know who he is. That’s the legacy in Pittsburgh. We’re trying to fill his shoes. I think outside of winning a World Series, that would probably be the coolest accolade that I could win (MLB’s annual Roberto Clemente Award). Probably the most meaningful thing that I could win because it’s not just a baseball thing. -Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (2025 NL Cy Young Award winner)
“He was a pioneer of the game. We were so lucky to have him because he broke that barrier for the Latinos. Just being able to go out there and represent the Latinos, it’s already a win. For us to be able to do it at this level and continue that legacy that he created on and off the field, it’s great and I think we’re more appreciative of him than anything else.” -San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (2022 AL LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year)
“When we talk about Roberto Clemente, we immediately think of him as an example of what integrity should look like. Doing what is right for others is the most important thing. We have to look further than what he did on the baseball field, and more of the impact that he had in the community. That’s something that I’m always trying to be and emulate—that part of how Roberto Clemente treated others.” -Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (one of two active MLB Puerto Rican-born managers along with Alex Cora)
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