Friday, January 16, 2009

DelGado Honored By 21




Carlos DelGado will have the distinct honor on donning Roberto Clemente’s retired #21 uniform for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic this spring.

DelGado was granted permission by the Clemente family to wear the sacred 21, which is held with the utmost respect in Puerto Rico.

According to
Anthony McCaron - NY Daily News, “No Puerto Rican player has worn No. 21 in international competition since the Puerto Rican winter league officially retired it after the 1998 season.”

DelGado wore #21 for the Blue Jays until Roger Clemens asked for it, and DelGado gave him the shirt off his back. DelGado wears 21 for the Mets as a tribute to Roberto Clemente. "People thought he was a good player, but the stuff he did off the field goes beyond the 3,000 hits, the Hall of Fame. This guy dedicated his life to helping the needy. Obviously, in that era, players didn't make the kind of money they do today, but he gave a lot. People still talk about him 36 years later, schools are named after him, stadiums, parks.”

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why are you spelling his name weird. It's "Delgado" not "DelGado".

metsfan73 said...

Hi Mike,
If my spelling of DelGado bothers you, I can hardly imagine what you would think if you tuned in throughout the summer when I was calling him Del Statue.

Thanks for your comment, and feel free to check back with us daily.
~ Metsfan73 ~