By Katie Mayock, Journalism Intern (Photo: Society for American Baseball Research)
The Pittsburgh Pirates honored the Latino Community Center (LCC) as part of their celebration of the MLB’s annual Roberto Clemente Day on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. Roberto Clemente Day is an annual celebration that takes place league-wide on Sept. 15, but it carries added meaning in Pittsburgh, where Clemente played for 18 seasons.
The Pirates recognized the LCC for “demonstrating the values of Roberto Clemente and making dreams come true.” The LCC works to ensure that all Latinos in the Pittsburgh area have the resources and support required to reach their full potential. They provide summer and afterschool activities for elementary school students, college and career readiness programming for high school students, and mentorship opportunities for young Latino professionals. Additionally, their downtown Drop-In Center aids families in accessing basic and critical needs.
Rosamaria Cristello, founder of the LCC, expressed her pride at the recognition, posting to her LinkedIn page “I am HONORED to share that the Latino Community Center was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Latino organization that represents and lives out the values and legacy of Roberto Clemente.”
Clemente was a legend on the field, finishing his Hall-of-Fame career with 3,000 hits, 15 All-Star appearances, 12 Gold Gloves in right field, regular season and World Series MVP honors, and two World Series rings. His accomplishments on the field earned him the nickname “The Great One,” in addition to a statue outside of PNC Park and the right field wall inside the park measuring 21 feet high in honor of his jersey number.
Clemente also left a legacy off the field through his humanitarian efforts. In December 1972, after a massive earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua, he arranged several flights to deliver much-needed supplies to the city. Clemente died on one of these flights, when the plane he was on crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico, his home country.
The following season, the MLB renamed their award that recognizes a player’s philanthropic efforts the “Roberto Clemente Award.” Every year, one player from each team in the MLB is selected as a nominee for the award. On Roberto Clemente Day, those players all wear jersey number 21 in honor of Clemente. The MLB recognizes the winner at the World Series.
The Pirates’ 2024 Roberto Clemente Award nominee is relief pitcher David Bednar. A native Pittsburgher, Bednar spends his offseason giving back to his hometown through Pirates Charities. Specifically, Bednar has advocated for mental health through the Allegheny Health Network’s Chill Mobile, helped the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank distribute Thanksgiving dinners, and worked with local pediatric cancer organization Lending Hearts.
You can vote for the 2024 Roberto Clemente Award winner here. Voting closes Sept. 29.
