Pirates' Derek Shelton celebrates Roberto Clemente's legacy

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton returned to his office in the clubhouse after Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds to find a No. 21 jersey hanging in his locker.

That’s when it hit Shelton that the Pirates would be honoring the Hall of Fame right fielder by wearing his number in celebration of Roberto Clemente Day on Wednesday at PNC Park.

Shelton couldn’t hide his excitement about the day or his reverence for the 15-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner, 1966 NL MVP and 1971 World Series MVP who finished with 3,000 hits before dying in a plane crash off the coast of his native Puerto Rico on New Year’s Eve 1972 while delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

“Obviously, he was one of the best baseball players of all time,” Shelton said, “but I think he was the greatest humanitarian that our game ever had.”

Today is a special day for our entire organization.

We should all strive to live our lives like The Great One. #ClementeDay pic.twitter.com/iKV6hikDse

— Derek Shelton (@derekshelton) September 15, 2021

Shelton revealed that when he had the team clubhouse redecorated, nine of the 10 jersey numbers retired by the Pirates adorn the hallway. At his request, Clemente’s No. 21 was painted on his office door so that Pirates players would see it every time they entered and exited.

The importance to Pirates catcher Michael Perez, third base coach Joey Cora and Mike Gonzalez, a special assistant to the general manager who works on cultural initiatives and is the team translator for Spanish-speaking players, is not lost on Shelton.

“I see it every day. It’s cool,” Shelton said. “And then you see Joey, and you see Mike Gonzalez and you see Michael Perez, guys that are Puerto Ricans, the pride that they have. And then you see the guys that are around the league that are able to wear (No. 21) today, the nominees and even the Puerto Rican players, it resonates with you.”

Not just a great baseball player, but the greatest humanitarian our game has ever had.@derekshelton talks about Roberto Clemente's legacy.#ClementeDay pic.twitter.com/GNnFUxBeyS

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 15, 2021

Shelton noted that there are reminders of Clemente everywhere in Pittsburgh, from the statue outside PNC Park at the foot of the bridge named after him to seeing fans wearing No. 21 jerseys and shirts.

“I think one of the special things about being in Pittsburgh is that every team is black and gold,” Shelton said. “When you see black and gold and 21, it instantly makes you think Clemente.”

Shelton wore a black T-shirt with Clemente Museum in gold lettering, promoting the former firehouse in Lawrenceville that stores Clemente’s artifacts and memorabilia, for his pregame video conference call. He spoke of his affection for the museum’s celebration of Pirates history, especially seeing the propeller of the plane that carried Clemente.

“That’s something that’s really striking when you go in and you spin and you walk right in and then all of the sudden, you see the propeller of the plane,” Shelton said. “It really takes you aback, because of the fact that we’re talking about someone that was doing a humanitarian mission, and that’s something of how he passed, and that really stood out to me.”

That’s why Shelton didn’t feel the need to address the team about Clemente’s legacy on Roberto Clemente Day. The Pirates have regular reminders everywhere, including the No. 21 stenciled on the grass in front of the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park.

“We talk about it throughout the year — not just today — and I think our group of guys sees the pride and what this means,” Shelton said. “This is not only for the Pirates. It’s the city of Pittsburgh. It’s the island of Puerto Rico. This is something that’s a lot bigger than us.”