ST. LOUIS – Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, is just old enough to remember watching Hall of Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente on some of those great Pirates teams of the 1960s and early ‘70s.
A framed picture of the great hitter and humanitarian hangs on a wall in Francona’s office at Great American Ball Park.
It still chaps Francona to this day the way Clemente didn’t get the respect at times he deserved, perhaps both as a ballplayer and person.
“I grew up listening to (broadcaster) Bob Prince talk about Bobby Clemente. And I don’t think he liked that,” Francona said. “God, I remember seeing a story by a good writer, and he did the article like (Clemente) spoke. Because his English was so broken. Can you imagine doing that? I remember seeing it even years ago and thinking, damn. (Expletive) guy’s speaking in his second language and this guy’s pooh-poohing him. I remember thinking what a (expletive) thing to do. It’s terrible.”
One of the greatest players of his generation, Clemente was known for one of the best outfield arms of all-time, and he reached exactly 3,000 hits in his final at-bat of the 1972 season — three months and a day before his death in a plane crash during a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to earthquake survivors in Nicaragua.
MLB honors Clemente annually on Sept. 15, when players from Clemente’s native Puerto Rico, Clemente Award nominees (for philanthropy) and anyone else who previously wore his number can wear Clemente’s 21.
Wearing the number for the Reds on Monday were catcher Jose Trevino, a previous nominee; reliever Brent Suter, this year’s Reds nominee; reliever Emilio Pagán, whose mother is from Puerto Rico; and starter Hunter Greene, whose regular number is 21.
For the Cardinals: 2025 nominee Brendan Donovan and everyday No. 21 Lars Nootbar.
“I just think about watching him hit a triple or watching him go into the right field corner and pivot and throw,” Francona said. “It was like (expletive) art. He had a gait. I loved his gait.”
