Billy Cook Gives Fitting Tribute on Roberto Clemente Day

PITTSBURGH — It was Roberto Clemente Day across Major League Baseball on Sunday and No. 21 could be seen all throughout PNC Park.

In the Pittsburgh Pirates’ series finale against the Kansas City Royals, all uniformed personnel wore Clemente’s iconic number. There was also a ’21’ mowed into the outfield grass in right field in front of the Clemente Wall.

Clemente’s legacy was honored even further by the performance of Billy Cook, who manned right field for the Pirates in their 4-3 win.

Royals leadoff hitter Tommy Pham opened the top of the third inning with a triple off the top of the 21-foot high fence in right. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a flyball to Cook in right field. The Pirates’ rookie ranged to his left, made the catch and fired home in plenty of time to prevent Pham from scoring on a one-hop strike.

“That ball that Pham hit hit the concrete up there, and that’s why he got the triple,” Cook explained. “He should have been on second if it hit anywhere else on that wall. So just, ‘okay, that happened, and how can we help him out?’ Just happened to get to third on it. Okay, pop fly, you know he’s going to tag, and just do your job.”

BILLY COOK WITH THE LASER 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/bAmnVAZY9e

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 15, 2024

Two innings later, Cook again showed glimpses of Clemente-type play. The 25-year-old led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a base hit, which snapped an 0-for-11 skid. Cook hustled all the way from first base and scored on an Isiah Kiner-Falefa base hit up the middle.

“Yeah, right, hit-and-run. So, I was moving already,” said Cook. And then yeah, went into the outfield, knew I was going to third and then (third base coach Mike Rabelo) waved, waved, waved. Kept going hard and then he didn’t put up the stop sign. Get to keep going, so took the turn and then I don’t know what happened if it was just a slow getting there or whatever. But, made it home and didn’t stop at all.”

Though Cook has only played in five games with the Pirates, his hustle and effort has already been apparent. Two attributes that Clemente embodied during his prolific career in Pittsburgh.

It’s a mentality that was instilled in Cook from an early age.

“My dad. ‘Cause if I didn’t, I’d hear about it. And my grandpa,” Cook said when asked who taught him to play the way he does. “But it’s always been the same advice from everybody – play the game hard, work hard and everything else will take care of itself.

“And so, that kind of ‘always earned, never given’, that was something that was said to me young. That comes with hard work, right. Without hard work, it’s not going to be given to you. You got to earn it.”

There are still many chapters to be written in Cook’s career, but Sunday undoubtably served as a memorable game in his brief career.

Clemente Day is special. Celebrating one of the game’s all-time greats for what he did both on and off the field is important, and even more so when it happens in Pittsburgh.

Cook was proud to get to honor ‘The Great One’ in a Pirates’ jersey.

“It was great,” he said. It was awesome seeing the ’21’, and I think even more special because it was just out in right field. And he played an amazing right field. And so, just being able to play the game the right way out there as a tribute to him while wearing the number, really special. And again, that’s my first Clemente Day. And so, having the privilege to be at home, in right field today was very special.