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WHEREAS, Roberto Clemente (“Clemente”) was born on August 18th, 1984 in Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico; and,
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.
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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.