Roberto Clemente: Nominees| Award| Day| Quotes…

Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Roberto Clemente: Nominees| Award| Day| Quotes

Nominees:

All 30 nominees for the 2021 Roberto Clemente Award — one per club, including 18 first-timers — were announced by Major League Baseball on Tuesday. Considered baseball’s most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers, the Clemente Award annually recognizes the MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

Beginning today, fans can vote for the Roberto Clemente Award

 via mlb.com/clemente21 (English)

and LasMayores.com/clemente21 (Spanish), through the end of the regular season on Oct. 3. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by a blue ribbon panel that will select the league-wide winner of the award.

Award:

MLB also announced that Sept. 15, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, will be celebrated as Roberto Clemente Day in perpetuity. On that day, the Pirates, the club for which Clemente played his entire Hall of Fame career, will once again have all players, managers and coaches wear Roberto’s “21” on their uniforms. Additionally, for the first time, 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.

Day:

Sept. 15

MLB announced on Wednesday that Sept. 15 will become Roberto Clemente Day on a permanent basis.

Players who have won the Roberto Clemente Award, “the most prestigious individual honor for major leaguers” and recognizes philanthropic efforts, are also eligible to wear No. 21. All of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team Clemente spent his entire 18-year career with, will also wear No. 21. 

Quotes:

• “I am more valuable to my team hitting . …
• “I am convinced that God wanted me to be a baseball player. …
• “If I would be happy, I would be a bad ballplayer. …
• “When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth.” …
• “To the people here, we are outsiders. …
• “I gonna rest.