Roberto Clemente Memorial Bridge Officially Dedicated
The life and legacy of Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente was celebrated Saturday in Waterbury with the official dedication of the Roberto Clemente Memorial Bridge on Baldwin Street.
The tributes to Clemente, the first Latin American player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, have been ongoing for decades. Schools, museums, streets, buildings, stadiums and bridges have been named after Clemente to honor his prodigious talent on the diamond and his charity work.
On Saturday, Roberto Clemente's son, Luis Roberto Clemente and other relatives, were present for the dedication. Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary gave him the key to the city and there were proclamations from U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, the Waterbury delegation in the General Assembly and Gov. Ned Lamont.
Clemente was known for his exceptional abilities at the plate and strong play in the outfield. In his 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemente 13 times batted more than .300 in a season and finished with exactly 3,000 hits, a milestone he reached in his last regular season at-bat.
Sadly, Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, while delivering earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua. He was 38 years old. Nevertheless, Clemente became the second player to waive the mandatory five-year waiting period to get into the Hall of Fame when he was elected on March 20, 1973, after a special ballot.
Renaming the bridge in Clemente's honor became a reality, thanks to Mayor O'Leary greenlighting the project. Also, there was a massive community effort inside and outside Connecticut: The Roberto Clemente Foundation in Puerto Rico; La Coalición Hispana Inc.; SALSA League of Waterbury; Los Amigos Softball League in Hartford; Roberto Clemente Old Timers League in Bridgeport; and Luis Miranda in Nicaragua played prominent roles.
As for myself, the dedication and the years of work to make it happen meant a lot to me as Chair of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, and as a baseball fan and Waterbury resident.
Check out media coverage of Saturday's dedication in the Waterbury Observer and Waterbury Republican-American.