Retiring No. 21

The New York City Council will debate a resolution today to call for Bud Selig to retire the number 21 from use for all 30 MLB teams in honor of Roberto Clemente.

Clemente helped lay the groundwork for the many Latino baseball stars that followed him. After he died in 1972 in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua, he became the first Latino player to be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Every year Major League Baseball honors a player who has distinguished himself through volunteer work with the Roberto Clemente Award in honor of the late ballplayer's humanitarian efforts.

Currently about a dozen active players wear Clemente's number 21, including Mets star Carlos Delgado, who is also from Puerto Rico, Tigers pitcher Dontrelle Willis, and Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young.

Roberto Clemente is a favorite of mine and an exemplary role model for all of us. I support the retirement of No. 21. Shyster and I will have to agree to disagree on this matter.