TORONTO — Charlie Montoyo hopes to one day see Roberto Clemente’s No. 21 hanging from all MLB rafters, just like Jackie Robinson’s No. 42.
Montoyo, along with several other Toronto Blue Jays players, wore his Puerto Rican idol’s number on Wednesday as the league celebrated Roberto Clemente Day, 48 years after his death.
Roberto Clemente is remembered not only for his excellence on the field, but for his kind, selfless and tireless approach to helping others. This legacy reverberates not only among Puerto Ricans like the Blue Jays manager, but the entire baseball community.
"One of his quotes is ‘anytime you have a chance to make a difference in this life and you don’t, you’re wasting your time on Earth,'" Montoyo said before the Blue Jays’ win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.