Posted on 01/24/2006 8:12:31 AM PST by GianniV
The daughter of Jackie Robinson thinks Major League Baseball should not retire Roberto Clemente's No. 21, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
The Hispanics Across America advocacy group wants Clemente's number set aside the way the late Robinson's No. 42 was nine years ago. But Sharon Robinson said that honor should remain for her father only.
"To my understanding, the purpose of retiring my father's number is that what he did changed all of baseball, not only for African-Americans but also for Latinos, so I think that purpose has been met," Robinson told the newspaper at a birthday celebration for her father in Times Square. "When you start retiring numbers across the board, for all different groups, you're kind of diluting the original purpose."
In September, Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson made similar comments, saying baseball should find another way to honor Clemente.
"Jackie Robinson was a very unique situation and historical," Robinson said. "Clemente did an awful lot of good things and was a terrific ballplayer, but I don't think it's the same type of situation as Jackie Robinson. And if you do it for him, where do you go? Where do you stop? Then you neglect someone and create some big controversy."
Major League Baseball has taken the effort to retire the late Clemente's number under advisement.
Sharon Robinson said she is close to the Clemente family and acknowledged that the Hall of Famer is an inspiration to Hispanic athletes.
"I totally think that Roberto's accomplishments should continue to be spotlighted and highlighted as a major part of baseball and American culture, as well as Puerto Rico's culture," she told the newspaper.
Clemente, a 12-time All-Star who had 3,000 hits for the Pittsburgh Pirates, died in 1972 at age 38 in a plane crash. He was taking relief supplies to victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake.
Baseball retired Jackie Robinson's number in 1997, the 50th anniversary of his debut as the first black player in the major leagues.
When will Ichiro be honored as the first Japanese player in MLB?
It never ends.
When I think of Roberto, I don't think of his role as a hispanic baseball player. I think of the guy who DIED trying to help his countrymen after a disaster.
That enough is reason to honor him. We don't need to pander to particular racial groups.
What about honoring Stan Musial for what he did for us Polish-Americans, while they're at it?
I'm against retiring numbers. What happens one hundred years from now when all the numbers are used up? I'm sick of seeing arenas with the rafters looking like the inside of a sportswear store. Put up monuments for the genuine heroes like Robinson and be done with it. But don't retire numbers.
Hey...Us German-Americans want to hear it for the guy that put major league baseball on the map...Babe Ruth. Personally, I think Sharon Robinson is overly focused on self interest. BTW, don't we need to retire a number for the first white guy to play major league baseball. What would Sharon think of that.
The list of "first" players who could be so honored is endless.
What Robinson did was remarkable. It was singularly unique, and he deserves to be honored in a unique fashion.
Clemente himself has an honor unique to him (being the only Hall of Famer to have the mandatory 5-year waiting period waived). He's had a stamp in his honor, Pittsburgh has named a bridge after him, how much is enough?
Stand fast, Bud. Don't bend to this silly pressure.
Good!
Clemente was a much better ball player than Jackie Robinson ever was, but there is NO reason to do this. Jackie ran into much more hate than Roberto did.
Start a "Most Graceful Ballplayer" deal for Roberto ......... then it would be completely correct!
Arriba
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