'He inspired me': Reds pitchers Fernando Cruz, Alexis Díaz wear No. 21 on Clemente Day

ST. LOUIS – Cincinnati Reds reliever Fernando Cruz, called up to the Majors on Sept. 1, walked into the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium on Thursday and found a surprise at his locker.

Cruz’s uniform had the No. 21 and no name on the back in honor of Roberto Clemente Day. All Puerto Ricans can wear No. 21 on Roberto Clemente Day, along with each team’s Clemente Award nominee and prior Clemente Award winners.

For someone who grew up in Puerto Rico where the No. 21 carries immense meaning and heard about what Clemente meant to the country since he was born, that uniform meant a lot to Cruz. He spent 15 years after he was drafted working his way to the Majors and three weeks after he was called up, he had a chance to wear No. 21 for the first time.

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“I grew up listening about the passion he had for the game and I inherited it in some way that today I can say wow,” Cruz said. “He inspired me in how to play the game and how to go after stuff. He means a lot to us in Puerto Rico. To me, wearing that number, is something that I’ll always be grateful for.”

Cruz and closer Alexis Díaz are the two Puerto Rican natives on the Reds’ roster. Díaz said he was anxious in the bullpen before earning a save in the ninth inning because he badly wanted to pitch while wearing the uniform.

Both grew up hearing stories about Clemente since they were young children. Clemente is featured in kindergarten history books. Older relatives share stories about watching him or things he did for the Puerto Rican community before he died on Dec. 31, 1972 while trying to ship aid packages to Nicaragua following an earthquake.

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“Having the honor and the privilege to wear it on a day like this is amazing,” Cruz said. “It’s something that is going to go to my grandkids. They are going to know about this. It means a lot.”

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, born in Bayamón, the same city as Cruz, insisted on being in the lineup Thursday, a typical off day after catching the last four games, because it was the last time he’d wear No. 21 in his career.

Molina wore a gold chest protector and gold shin guards in honor of Clemente’s career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he had No. 21 featured on his catching mask. All players had a No. 21 patch on their uniforms.

“When I came to the stadium today and I saw the No. 21, I was like, ‘wow, I’m wearing No. 21 today?’” said Díaz, a rookie, through team interpreter Jorge Merlos. “It was a complete shock to me.”

Cruz and Díaz both planned to frame their first No. 21 uniforms at home, a prized memento of their baseball careers.

“It means a lot to me and my family,” Cruz said. “I didn’t know we get to actually wear the number and take off our last name. When I saw the jersey hanging in my locker, I was like, ‘wow, this means a lot.’ Being here for the first time, three weeks in the big leagues, and already wearing No. 21 on my back, it’s something I will never forget.”

There’s been a push by some players to retire No. 21 throughout the sport like Jackie Robinson’s No. 42. For now, they celebrate every year on Sept. 15.

“We want No. 21 retired, for sure,” Cruz said, “in honor of somebody that died serving and did a lot of good stuff for the world and for baseball.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fernando Cruz, Alexis Diaz honored to wear No. 21 on Clemente Day