In 1994, the Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled a 12-foot statue of Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente, just before the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game which was hosted by the Pirates in Three Rivers Stadium.[1]
| Statue of Roberto Clemente | |
|---|---|
 Clemente's statue outside PNC Park | |
| Artist | Susan Wagner |
| Year | 1994 |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture |
| Subject | Roberto Clemente |
| Location | PNC Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| 40°26′48.5″N 80°0′14.2″W / 40.446806°N 80.003944°W | |
Information
editThe statue was created by Susan Wagner and depicts Clemente dropping his bat and running out of the batter's box. It was funded completely by donations made by Pirates fans.[1]
The base of the statue is made from black granite and stainless steel, with a baseball diamond set in the center and glass blocks which represent first, second and third base. Underneath each glass block is soil from Puerto Rico, Clemente's birthplace, and from Forbes Field and Three Rivers Stadium, former home ballparks for the Pittsburgh Pirates and where Clemente played his entire MLB career.[2]
Around the diamond are fifteen inscriptions set in steel which run counter-clockwise from home plate to third base, listing Clemente's career highlights. According to the Pirates, a space was left intentionally blank for a 16th inscription which remains empty as "a reflection of the incomplete circle of Roberto Clemente's life."[2]
The statue was moved to its current location in PNC Park in 2001, and stands outside the park's centerfield gate.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Statue dedicated to Clemente". United Press International. July 8, 1994.
- ^ a b c Berry, Adam (December 6, 2020). "History behind Pirates statues at PNC Park". MLB.com.
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