With Major League Baseball announcing on Wednesday (Sept. 15) that September 15 will be Roberto Clemente Day on a permanent basis, it seemed appropriate to choose Norman Nardini’s ode to Clemente, “Ole Number 21,” for this week’s “Local Song of the Week.” From Norman’s latest album, “Notorious,” the song celebrates the life, career and legacy of Clemente, who played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972. Besides being an exemplary player, Clemente was a humanitarian, and he lost his life in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 while transporting relief aid from his native Puerto Rico to Nicaragua following a massive earthquake. Every year since, Major League Baseball has presented the Roberto Clemente Award to the player who displays “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
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