Ever since Roberto Clemente's death in 1972, his fans have sought an appropriate way to honor his legacy. The most popular pursuit has been convincing Major League Baseball to retire Clemente's no. 21 jersey. Some, however, have their sights set slightly higher: sainthood.
Alas, it does not appear that Clemente is any closer to canonization than Willie Stargell, Andy Van Slyke, Tike Redman, or any other former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder -- that despite murmurs to the contrary. Here's what the Washington Post reported:
That's "not true," Vatican officials told The Post on Thursday. While they couldn't confirm whether anyone has petitioned Pope Francis for sainthood on Clemente's behalf, both the Vatican and sources close to it denied the Puerto Rican native has been beatified.
Per the Post, the sainthood talk surrounding Clemente originated with Richard Rossi, who directed an independent film about Clemente's life. Rossi claims Clemente performed a posthumous miracle by helping Jamie Nieto -- a former Olympian who portrayed Clemente in the film -- recover from paralysis he suffered following an errant backflip. Nieto does not seem to confirm that account.
The story gets even more muddled from there, and the Post references the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's reporting on Rossi's past -- a past that includes, among other things, an attempted murder charge. Just your normal, run-of-the-mill story here, folks.
Anyway, Clemente won't be beatified anytime soon. That's okay. He's worth remembering and emulating all the same.
