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WHEREAS, Roberto Clemente (“Clemente”) was born on August 18th, 1984 in Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico; and,
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WHEREAS, in 1951, Clemente played for the Puerto Rican Baseball League - Santurce Cangrejeros; and,
WHEREAS, in 1952 Clemente was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers Minor League Team, the Montreal Royals; and,
WHEREAS, in 1954 Clemente was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft for the Pittsburgh Pirates and played as a right fielder (Jersey #21); and,
WHEREAS, Clemente encountered discrimination during his career; and,
WHEREAS, Clemente became a union leader in the Major League Baseball Players Association to defend players’ rights; and,
WHEREAS, Clemente visited sick children in hospitals when on the road with the Pittsburgh Pirates; and,
WHEREAS, in 1958, Clemente enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was inducted into the Marine Corps Hall of Fame (in 2003); and,
WHEREAS, in 1960, Clemente earned his first All-Star and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series; and,
WHEREAS, in 1961, Clemente won the first of twelve (12) consecutive Gold Glove Awards; and,
WHEREAS, in 1966, Clemente was voted the National League MVP; and,
WHEREAS, in 1971 Clemente was selected to be the World Series MVP; and,
WHEREAS, in 1972, Clemente died in a plane crash off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico while attempting to deliver aid to those impacted by the earthquake in Managua Nicaragua; and,
WHEREAS, in 2002, Major League Baseball declared the first annual Roberto Clemente Day; and,
WHEREAS, in 2021, Major League Baseball designated September 15th as Roberto Clemente Day.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare its support for the naming of a terminal at the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), in Puerto Rico, as Terminal 21 Roberto Clemente in honor of Roberto Clemente.