Signs of late Baseball HOFer Roberto Clemente's legacy are "abounded in the game" as he "tirelessly advocated for equal treatment for Latino players," according to Jorge Ortiz of USA TODAY. Today, nearly 25% of the players on current MLB rosters were "born in Latin American countries," as were 35% of the players at this year's All-Star Game. Red Sox DH David Ortiz said, "MLB is doing an incredible job with Latin players, better than I've ever seen before." Yesterday's Roberto Clemente Day "preceded a series of events during Hispanic Heritage Month -- stamped with a special version of the MLB logo with an accent mark -- to recognize the contributions of Latino players to the game and their communities." The Braves "firing of Fredi Gonzalez in May left the majors without a Hispanic manager." Cubs C Miguel Montero said, "It bothers you. You don't want to think (there's any discrimination) , but you're still left with that little resentment of, 'Why is it? Why don't they try it?" MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said, "We would like to have greater diversity among the managerial ranks. It is something we will continue to encourage and strive for." Ortiz wrote what MLB can do is "continue reaching out to the Hispanic audience." Manfred thinks that market is "ripe for the taking, which is part of the impetus behind initiatives such as adding the accent mark to the surname on the jersey of several Latin players," such as Mariners 2B Robinson Cano, Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes and Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez. As part of the outreach this month, MLB will "run spots in national media outlets in English and Spanish" (USA TODAY, 9/8).
