My Boricua Parade Experience with Two Hall of Fame Legends

By Danny Torres

NEW YORK – My customary trek to the ballpark took a 180-degree turn Sunday toward Fifth Avenue to capture the beautiful sights and rhythmic sounds of a celebratory extravaganza honoring an extraordinary lineup of Puerto Rican luminaries.

Since 1958, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade has more than symbolized a powerful unifying voice of the five boroughs of this great city. It also recognizes how a small island in the Caribbean has impacted an entire community on the world stage.

I attended my very first Puerto Rican Day Parade in 1999. I thought it would be a great idea for my beautiful daughters, who were 5 and 3 years old, to accompany me. It would be a first for all of us. Interestingly in 2014, we returned to the parade as participants. We actually marched the entire route.

I found myself back on Fifth Avenue enjoying the comfort of a swank restaurant in the presence of two Puerto Rican Hall of Famers who were honored at this year’s National Puerto Rican Day parade.

The two honorees were Edgar Martínez, who was voted into the 2019 class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and golfer Chi-Chi Rodríguez.

Martínez, 56, carries a congenial demeanor that reflects the genuine personality of un jíbaro living in the countryside of Puerto Rico. One would never know he was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. He paused and shared his innermost thoughts on coming back to his birthplace to accept the Atleta Estrella – which translates to Star Athlete – honor at this annual parade.

“What an incredible honor just to be invited and be a part of the event,” the Seattle Mariners icon said. “To be surrounded by these legends, people that have meant so much to Puerto Rico, it is an incredible honor just to be here.”

Martínez was born in New York and raised in his parents’ native Puerto Rico.

Juan Antonio “Chi-Chi” Rodríguez, 83, is renowned as one of the greatest golfers of his generation. He actually pitched for an amateur team on the outskirts of his hometown in Rio Piedras before becoming the celebrated golfer.

His teammate decades ago on that amateur team was his dear friend Roberto Clemente, the Hall of Fame right fielder.

He laughed and commented on how ‘smart’ his manager was for having this future Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder as a pinch-runner on his team.

In between reciting the lifetime batting averages of some of the all-time greats of the game, Chi-Chi has always stayed humble, quick-witted but appreciative of every accolade bestowed upon him.

“I won most of my awards with my golf clubs, but this [Lifetime Award], I won with my heart,” he said proudly. “When it comes from my peers, it has a special place in my heart.”

Both Rodríguez and Martínez could be best described in one particular word – genuine. Many would say that’s a characteristic among Puerto Ricans in all walks of life. Rodríguez credited his parents. Martínez showered praise on his maternal grandparents.

“I grew up with my grandparents since I was one years old,” he said. “They were humble people. My grandfather was a tireless worker. All the qualities that I have such as being loyal, respectful, and giving back, that comes from growing up with my grandparents.”

Personally, my earliest recollections was watching the parade on a black-and-white television from my parents’ three-bedroom apartment on the 19th floor in the South Bronx.

Every Sunday morning, my kindhearted mom always cooked pernil con arroz y gandules, roast pork with rice and pigeon peas. My late father always made sure we enjoyed a freshly baked loaf of bread with cold cuts.

I miss those days.

Before it became a cultural trend to wear name-brand clothing, my fellow Puerto Ricans waved their flags and made sure to wear every imaginable T-shirt, cap, socks, dresses, jewelry and even their favorite headband with the Puerto Rican flag emblazoned on the front or back.

Sixty two years after New York’s first Puerto Rican Day Parade, those Puerto Rican flags were still proudly waved on Sunday. On the corner of the historic Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, there was a memorable tune reverberating in my ears that put a huge smile on my face:

“Que bonita bandera, que bonita bandera, que bonita bandera es la bandera Puertorriqueña.”

What a beautiful flag, what a beautiful flag, what a beautiful flag is the flag of Puerto Rico.

That song and a pair of Hall of Famers made the 2019 Puerto Rican Day special in New York for all boricuas who turned out to see Martínez and Rodríguez.

Featured Image: Courtesy Danny Torres

Inset Images: Courtesy Danny Torres