Bradenton has always been a special place for Roberto Clemente and his family. When the Pittsburgh Pirates made it their spring training home, it became a second home for him.
“Prior to coming here, he had to get in an old station wagon with his minority teammates and travel beside the team because of segregation," Clemente’s eldest son, Roberto Clemente Jr., said.
Clemente could not stay in hotels with his teams, so Pirate City became a safe place for him and others.
Now the road that runs in front of Pirate City bears Clemente's name.
On Wednesday, Manatee County dedicated the section of 27th Street East from State Road 64 to 38th Avenue East was renamed “Roberto Clemente Memorial Way."
Two of Clemente's sons, a former teammate, local officials, and dozens of local fans gathered for the dedication at Pirate City.
"His dedication to excellence, compassion for others, and unwavering commitment to serving his community and nation continue to inspire us all," Roberto Clemente Jr. said. "The street designation in his honor is a testament to his remarkable life and the lasting impact on Manatee County and beyond."
The Hall of Fame right fielder spend 18 seasons with the Pirates, becoming the 11th member of the 3,000-hit club — the first Carribean-born player to do so.
His father died on New Year's Eve 1972 in a plane crash, headed from his native Puerto Rico to Nicaragua with a place full of supplies to help earthquake victims.
Clemente was also a hero to at least one of his teammates, Steve Blass, who also called Clemente a friend.
“I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. I learned so much from him just by keeping my mouth shut when I was a young Pittsburgh Pirate, and I learned how he carried himself," Blass said.
Bradenton has been the spring training home to the pirates since 1969. Every spring, Pirates fans, some local or seasonal residents, pour into LECOM Park to watch the return of baseball.
One of Clemente's other sons, Luis Clemente, recalled when he signed with the Pirates in 1985 and came back to Pirate City as a player.
“How many times I walked on this street, all the way to the gas station, how many times, trying to figure out what was the best thing for me to do, what was my future, what was my destiny," he explained.
He would decide to build on his father's legacy outside of playing baseball.
His brother, Roberto Clemente Jr., also has fond memories of returning to Pirate City when he went to Manatee Junior College in 1984. He was the first person to stay in his father's room in Pirate City.
