Pirates catcher Michael Perez hopes to honor legacy of his idol Roberto Clemente

Michael Perez has the distinction of being the lone Puerto Rican player on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster and the honor of playing for the same team as his hero Roberto Clemente once did.

Not that Perez had any control over that decision, however, as the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in October.

Where all of the Pirates players and coaches honored Clemente by wearing his retired No. 21 on their uniforms on Roberto Clemente Day on Sept. 9 at PNC Park, Perez was one of the 20 Puerto Rican players in MLB that also were allowed to wear the number. The Rays were off that day, so Perez wore No. 21 the next day against Boston.

Michael Pérez wears #21 to honor Roberto Clemente! @TriciaWhitaker shares more.

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“For me, wearing No. 21 last year was a very proud moment,” Perez said Thursday through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez in a video conference call. “Roberto Clemente not only means a lot to me, but a lot to my island. He’s basically an idol in our island of Puerto Rico. He’s very similar to Jackie Robinson to us.

“And for me to wear that No. 21, I never imagined I was going to be able to wear that No. 21, and being given the opportunity to wear that No. 21 was a huge moment in my career and for my life. I’m very excited now to represent him as a patriarch of Puerto Rico and to be able not only represent him, but to try to continue to reflect who he was in the organization of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was an awesome moment, and I’m looking forward to continue that legacy going forward with the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

The 28-year-old Perez, who is bilingual, batted .221/.286/.314 with 13 doubles, two home runs and 26 RBIs in 84 games over three seasons with the Rays, including a .167 average with three doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs last season and a home run against the Yankees in the postseason.

Perez is listed as wearing No. 5 on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, although he’d prefer to wear his old No. 7, which no Pirates player has worn since Alex Presley in 2012-13.

“That’s the number I want,” Perez said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity that the Pirates have provided me, for claiming me, before anything. Going into camp, my mentality is I’m very confident in myself. I’m very confident with the tools that I bring. I’m very confident in the player that I am. And I’m looking forward to working hard and earning my spot. Doing what I’ve got to do to show them that I belong in this organization, but more than anything, on the roster.”