SEATTLE -- A few members of the Red Sox are sporting No. 21 for Wednesday’s game against the Mariners to honor Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.
Sept. 15 is “Roberto Clemente Day” throughout Major League Baseball, honoring the 15-time All-Star’s legacy. As part of the tribute, certain players and coaches can wear No. 21 instead of their usual uniform numbers. According to Major League Baseball, “all Roberto Clemente Award nominees and previous Award recipients will have the option to wear ‘21′ on their uniforms, joining players from Puerto Rico and others who wore the number during the 2020 commemoration of Roberto Clemente Day.” A few members of the Red Sox -- including manager Alex Cora, catcher Christian Vázquez, quality control coach Ramón Vazquez, first base coach Tom Goodwin, center fielder Kiké Hernández and infielder Jack López -- are wearing Clemente’s number against the Mariners. All other players and coaches are wearing a No. 21 patch on their uniform sleeves.
Cora, who is from Caguas, Puerto Rico, said his family participated in Roberto Clemente Day festivities last September, when he was at home while serving his one-year suspension for sign-stealing. This year, Cora is excited for the opportunity to honor Clemente on the field.
“It’s great,” Cora said. “It’s something that is very special for everybody, not only us as Puerto Ricans. Clemente means more than just for our community and our race. The way he conducted himself on the field and off the field, the way he went about it, very impressive. For us, he was a Hall of Famer on the field. If there’s a Hall of Fame above the Hall of Fame, off the field, he’s in that Hall of Fame. Lived his live with conviction, very firm, wasn’t afraid to let people know where he was from and what he represented. His family has done an amazing job to keep the legacy of Roberto. They have been great in Pittsburgh, they have been great in Puerto Rico and we’ve very proud of them.”
Cora’s father, José, got the chance to meet Clemente during winter ball in Puerto Rico before Clemente died in a plane crash in Dec. 1972. In 2020, Cora said, he made a point to try to start to teach his young twin sons, Xander and Isander, about Clemente’s legacy.
“I’ve always said that we don’t do enough back home to actually teach our kids who this man was,” Cora said. “I think, little by little, with the movement to retire No. 21 and having this day, little by little, we’re getting better at that. With who he was and what he represents, we will always be short, because he was this personality and means so much to us. But I think we’re doing a better job now sending the message and the kids are learning who Roberto Clemente was.”
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