Roberto Clemente Day is celebrated annually on September 15 across Major League Baseball, honoring the legendary player and humanitarian. This year, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be hosting their first ever live Spanish broadcast, with Roberto Clemente Jr. and Carlos Baerga serving as the commentators for Monday’s contest against the Chicago Cubs.
Clemente told MLB.com he’s excited to be on the call for this game and commemorating his father’s legacy in a new special way.
“This one in particular is going
to be a very special broadcast. Whoever joins in is going to have a treat, because we’re going to be celebrating Clemente Day in a big way.”
Pirates’ owner Bob Nutting released a statement expressing his gratitude for the collaboration with the Clemente family.
“We are proud to partner with the Clemente family and SportsNet Pittsburgh to host this first-ever Pirates Spanish-language telecast. It is important to all involved that we continue to lead the way in ensuring Roberto’s legacy lives on for generations to come. It is very fitting that, as we honor The Great One’s legacy both on and off the field, his son, Roberto Jr., will be calling the action in their native language. It is a special moment for the organization, the Clemente family, and the baseball community around the world.”
Clemente is one of baseball’s greatest examples of someone who made a worldwide impact. As a player for the Pirates, there was no one better. The former MVP was a two-time World Series champion, a 15-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glove defender, and won four batting titles during his 18-year playing career. Off the field, he was well known for his charity and humanitarian efforts, bringing baseball equipment to his native Puerto Rico for underprivileged kids, as well as serving in the Pittsburgh communities that he grew to love.
Clemente’s life was tragically cut short on December 31, 1972 when the plane he had chartered with earthquake relief supplies bound for Nicaragua crashed into the ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico. He was just 38-years old.
This many years later, his legacy lives on as not only one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but also for being one of the greatest people the league has ever seen. Every year the Roberto Clemente Award is given to the player that best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement. On Monday’s broadcast Clemente Jr. and Baerga will be joined via zoom by former Clemente Award recipients Sammy Sosa, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltrán, Edgar Martinez and Albert Pujols. They will have the opportunity to speak on what it means to be chosen for such an award as well as the lasting impact that “The Great One” left on the sport.
Formerly the Spanish voice for the New York Yankees, Clemente Jr. has been wanting to bring a Spanish broadcast to Pittsburgh for a number of years now. He has high expectations for this first one, and is hoping that there are more opportunities to bring Spanish to Pirates’ baseball in the future.
“It’s been six years of conversations with the Pirates, trying to push this through. I think this is a great start. I’m looking forward to mapping out some games for next year and doing it the right way for the fans of the Pirates in Spanish.”
Fans across the world will have an opportunity to bear witness to this historic broadcast. The standard English broadcast will be on SportsNet Pittsburgh with the Spanish broadcast, “El día de Roberto Clemente: Los Piratas en español”, taking place on SportsNet Pittsburgh’s SNP+ and on the SPN360 app. For fans outside of the Pittsburgh market, the game will be telecasted via live stream on MLB.com across the United States and internationally, to include Puerto Rico.
This is another great way to extend the legacy of the late Clemente nearly 53 years after his passing. He will forever be a part of the sports culture in the city of Pittsburgh, and now a new generation of fans can discover who he was through incredible acts like this broadcast. In his native Puerto Rico there is no greater athlete to come from the island and no better man to bring their culture to the rest of the world in the way that the Hall of Fame outfielder did so eloquently.
Given that the Pirates’ organization and the Clemente family were at odds at the beginning of the season for the removal of the iconic number 21 being replaced with a drink ad, it’s incredible to see the two parties coming together for this monumental event.
“I am honored and extremely excited for this historic moment on Clemente Day,” Clemente Jr. said. “Bringing a Spanish broadcast of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been a vision of mine for many years, and on Sept. 15, that dream becomes reality. To broadcast Los Piratas en Español live from PNC Park is not only a milestone for me personally, but a meaningful celebration of this city and its fans.”
