MLB celebrates Roberto Clemente Day, ceremony at Citi Field

By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball celebrated its 21st annual Roberto Clemente Day on Thursday, with festivities centered in New York where the Mets hosted the Hall of Fame outfielder’s former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente died in a plane crash at age 38 attempting to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve 1972. To mark the 50th anniversary year of that tragedy, more than a dozen winners of baseball’s treasured Roberto Clemente Award for philanthropy and playing excellence joined Clemente family members at Citi Field for the pregame ceremony.