MLB Honors Clemente With No. 21 Patches Across League
Every player in Tuesday night's MLB games will wear a No. 21 patch in honor of Roberto Clemente, marking the annual Roberto Clemente Day held each Sept. 15. The tribute recognizes the Pittsburgh Pirates legend's on-field excellence and his humanitarian work, which continues through the Roberto Clemente Foundation.
Clemente spent all 18 of his major league seasons with the Pirates, from 1955 to 1972, and wore No. 21 throughout his career. He died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. In 1973, MLB renamed its Commissioner's Award the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best exemplifies his commitment to community service. Each of the league's 30 teams nominates a candidate, and the winner is announced during the World Series. mybookie italian serie
Clemente's statistical legacy remains among the most decorated in franchise and league history. He is the Pirates' all-time leader in hits (3,000), total bases (4,492) and singles (2,154), and one of only 33 players to reach the 3,000-hit milestone. He won four National League batting titles (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), the 1966 NL MVP award and 12 consecutive Gold Gloves, while earning 15 All-Star selections. His 2,305 career appearances in right field are the most by any player at that position in MLB history. Clemente helped the Pirates win World Series titles in 1960 and 1971, and was named MVP of the 1971 Fall Classic after batting .414 with two home runs and four RBIs against the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his career with a .317 regular-season batting average and a .318 mark in postseason play.
Clemente was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean-born player to receive the honor. His legacy is now formally recognized across MLB each Sept. 15, with the league-wide jersey tribute serving as a reminder of both his athletic accomplishments and his humanitarian example.
