What does Roberto Clemente mean to Joey Cora?
All you need to know is that the Pirates' third base coach twice admonished this reporter for referring to the legendary Hall of Famer and trailblazer for Latin players in the past tense.
For Cora, Clemente is much, much more than just a mere Hall of Fame baseball player. The Great One's presence and legacy is alive and well today in his heart and those of fellow Latinos, Puerto Ricans in particular. Clemente would have turned 84 years old on Saturday.
"I don't think Clemente is important as a player, he's more important as a human being. That's what makes Roberto Clemente," Cora was telling me Saturday. "As a player, he had 3,000 hits, the stats, but the most important thing about Roberto Clemente is the way he lived his life, the way he was an example for everyone, not only baseball players but the whole society in Puerto Rico. He put Puerto Rico on the map for not only the way he played but the way he performed off the field."
Cora was 7 years old when Clemente was killed in a plane wreck while delivering humanitarian aid to earthquake-ravaged Managua, Nicaragua, on New Year's Eve 1972.
Of course, Clemente is fondly remembered at PNC Park and throughout Pittsburgh where, most notably, a park, bridge and museum bear the Clemente name.
"He did everything right," said Cora, who played shortstop for 11 years in the majors and has been coaching with the Pirates the last three. "He represented Puerto Rico the right way. All the Puerto Ricans that come through here, it's very important to see the way he's remembered in Pittsburgh, it's very impressive. In Puerto Rico, he was huge, but here in Pittsburgh, he's very important for us. He fills us with a lot of pride."
Every September, Major League Baseball remembers Clemente's legacy with a day in his honor. This year's Roberto Clemente Day will be Sept. 7. The Pirates will hand out shirts to all fans bearing the iconic No. 21 on the back.
There has been a movement in some corners to have Clemente's No. 21 retired league-wide -- as it is for only Jackie Robinson -- but Cora sounded a little indifferent.
"His number has been retired in our hearts," the 53-year-old says, "which is more important than being retired on the field."