Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement tonight regarding the passing of MLB Goodwill Ambassador Vera Clemente, who was 78:
“All of us at Major League Baseball are saddened by the passing of Vera Clemente, the wife of legendary Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. As a Goodwill Ambassador for MLB, Vera impacted countless children and extended her family’s humanitarian legacy of helping those in need. With grace and strength, she led the way in welcoming players to the fraternity of Roberto Clemente Award winners, the single most prestigious off-the-field honor in our game.
“Vera’s baseball family will miss her greatly. We send our deepest condolences to Roberto Jr., Luis, Enrique, the entire Clemente family, the fans of Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico, and her many admirers across our game.”