Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash
"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth."-Roberto Clemente-
MLB Legend Roberto Clemente's family visits Orlando mural, and the school renamed in his honor
Clemente's family has recently visited his mural and the school named after him ( the previous Stonewall Jackson middle school). The scenes depicted are Clemente's hit for his 3000th hit and his NL MVP award in 1966. Family members were so grateful to the talented artist who donated her talent for the project and the Azalea Park Little League president, who led the efforts for donating the mural.
Photo By GK Meyers / Author
They took pictures with the mural and posed with Millan to show off her artwork; other people took snapshots as well. The big moment also got graced by community officials who had pushed the campaign to rename the Stonewall Jackson after the legend.
Other states have also named schools and stadiums after Clemente. Still, the change in Orlando marked a significant moment for the Hispanic community for their legend who fought against racism and discrimination. The family recognized the significance of renaming the Stonewall Jackson after the baseball legend in 2020 since it was a year when racial injustices were campaigned against by many people worldwide.
The city officials also decided that the road would also be named Roberto Clemente road. A middle school near the road to the mural (called Confederate General) also got renamed after the Puerto Rican baseball ball legend.
The legacy Roberto Clemente left is still something to be reckoned with by many people. After his demise in 1972, at the age of 38 years old, the MLB renamed the annual commissioner's award in his honor (The Roberto Clemente Award). A tragic death in a plane crash brought a lot of sorrow to the MLB family, fans, and pitchers who have been friends to Roberto Clemente. However, the whole world got moved by his acts of charity and goodwill ( his plane crashed on his way to give relief aid to earthquake victims in Central America in the Republic of Nicaragua).
The history of the previously named Stonewall Jackson School in Orlando
The Stonewall Jackson School in Orlando was renamed Roberto Clemente Middle school on 22nd September 2020. It was opened around 55 years ago as an all-white-only school. It was named after a Virginian named Jackson who died during the Civil War in 1863. They renamed it to reflect the current values of the community( supporting racial equality) and honor the baseball legend. In late 2017, they began a renaming campaign, and three-plus years later, it is time for the community to celebrate the change. A city of growth and diversity, Orlando was ready for a change.
Who was Roberto Clemente?
Roberto Clemente made his first appearance in the MLB game as a professional in 1955. In his early years, he previously played in Puerto Rican baseball from 1952 - 1954. Throughout his baseball career, the individual made significant accomplishments in minor league baseball and Major League baseball. He was an All-Star player, and in all 15 All-Star games, he was an All-Star for 13 seasons.
In 1966, he was the National League's Most Valued Player (MVP), and in all the previous years, he was on top of his game. In 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967, he was the NL Batting leader. He also made his fans proud from 1961 to1972, where he was the winner of the Gold Glove Award during the 12 consecutive seasons. The impressive success of his career was unprecedented, and he became a World Series Champion twice.
He got inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and he became the first Caribbean and Latin American to receive enshrinement of this stature. The honor of being around him was to observe how he took care of everyone around him, the members of his family, his community, and society at large. The day he died, he was on one of his many trips to assist those in need. His family, in his respect, has continued with the charity work he began and has come up with many programs to help the economically and educationally disadvantaged people in American cities.
Family
A cherished Puerto Rican, Roberto Clemente grew up in a small family of seven and was the youngest among them. After his marriage with Vera Zabala, he had three sons, Roberto Junior, Luis Roberto, and Roberto Enrique. Even today, Roberto gets remembered for his humanitarian work.
YouTube Roberto Clemente -Athlete Mini Bio
Fame
It is without a doubt that he was the best right fielder in history. Besides, the 3000th hit got his attention in the baseball community, and he became famous as the eleventh player to reach that feat and the first Puerto Rican in baseball history. He was also well known for advocating for unity in America among different cultures, thus fighting against racial discrimination. He believed all people were equal regardless of their cultural background, religion, or skin color.
Legacy
Apart from being a baseball icon, Roberto Clemente had outstanding values to emulate. The residents of Orlando wanted to honor his legacy by naming a school after him because he inspired others and the importance he placed on education.
Although he died in his early career, his humanitarian legacy lives on. Roberto Clemente always went out of his way to help those who were in need in society. In Puerto Rico, he opened a clinic for young kids, and he loved to hand out gifts on Three Kings Day to reach out to many people. After the earthquake struck Nicaragua, he felt a sense of responsibility as if his relatives had died in the tragedy.
After he passed away, all funds raised got used in building a pediatric wing in Nicaragua at the Masaya hospital. Many people came to the pediatric wing's inauguration, and many engineers did the work perfectly. The pediatric for the children got well decorated with excellent air conditioning and other essential hospital equipment.
Photo By Jay Publishing Public Domain
The impact of Roberto Clemente in youth and baseball
Because of his activism, he insisted that racial injustice and discrimination no longer be tolerated in society. As an activist, Roberto Clemente was quite influential among the youth. Many young people got inspired by his advocacy for equality and participation in improving their communities. His community members battled with him against the oppression of racial subgroups. He advocated that everyone should bring about the change they want to see in society and became an embodiment of the slogan "one man can change the world." He was an inspiration to many young people.
Although Roberto Clemente's impact has recognition beyond baseball, his prowess remains incomparable to his predecessors in baseball. He has won a lot of awards and many accolades for his achievements. He inspires young baseball players to excel and overcome challenges to become the best.
Bottom Line
MLB Roberto Clemente left an outstanding legacy that people around the world can follow in his footsteps. A perfect legend should never go unnoticed. The people of Orlando have taken Clemente's greatness into account, and they have recently named many places after him. They have also made his family feel a high level of appreciation and inspiration to help in society.
"The family is honored that the people of Orlando elected to carry on the legacy of Roberto."-Luis Clemente-
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