Roberto Clemente is one of the all-time baseball greats, and we just recently passed the 50th anniversary of his untimely death. On and off the field, Clemente wowed and inspired many, and became a Latin American hero. Now, a book by Clemente’s family about Roberto’s life is set to be turned into a biopic.
According to Deadline, producer Jonah Hirsch and actor/producer AJ Muñoz will collaborate with the Clemente family to create the film. Clemente’s sons, Roberto Clemente Jr. and Luis Roberto Clemente will be executive producers.
The book that the film will be based on, Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero, is not the same book that was banned, and later reinstated, by Duval County Public Schools in the wake of Florida governor Rob DeSantis’ law limiting discussions about race.
Clemente was a monumental figure in baseball history. He was a pioneer for Latin American and Caribbean baseball players by becoming the first to win a World Series (as a starter), NL MVP, World Series MVP, and Gold Glove. Clemente’s humanitarian efforts had just as much of an impact, spending his offseasons giving back. Clemente died on December 31, 1972, in a plane crash while assisting in humanitarian efforts in Nicaragua after a massive earthquake hit the area.
After his death, the Baseball Hall of Fame waived their five-year wait for retired players and inducted Clemente. In addition, Clemente received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Pittsburgh Pirates retired the #21 in Clemente’s honor. However, many have pushed over the years for the number to be retired throughout Major League Baseball, much like how the #42 is retired league-wide in honor of Jackie Robinson.
This isn’t the first time a Clemente biopic has been announced. A similar project was announced in 2015 that wound up not going very far. This time, Clemente’s family is involved, so while it’s early in the process, there’s hope that Clemente’s story can be told in this way.
[Deadline]
