The 1972 Dodge Charger that was awarded to Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Most Valuable Player of the 1971 World Series as been completely restored to its original appearance and finish and will be on display at the entrance to the American Car Show on Schenley Drive during Race Weekend. Clemente’s teammate and Pirates announcer Steve Blass will make a personal appearance on Saturday, July 20 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm.

Major League Baseball has given an award to the Most Valuable Player in each of the World Series championships since 1955. Last year, Steve Pearce of the Boston White Sox won the award and a 2019 Chevrolet truck.  And why not?  Pearce hit three homeruns in the last two games to ensure the wins for the Red Sox.

Shrouded in unimportant minutia, it is difficult to research a list of automobile prizes that have been awarded over the years for World Series MVP, but one thing is certain.  Roberto Clemente received the award in 1971 as the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles, and the 1972 Dodge Charger that came with it.

Clemente won the honor by hitting 5 extra base hits and 2 home runs in the series, and his batting average was .414   He was easily the MVP, but what happened to the car after his tragic death just 14 months later?

It now resides in Daytona, Florida at Randy Dye’s Dodge dealership, on the showroom floor, where it is protected by a car cover and only uncovered on the 21st of each month, in honor of Roberto Clemente’s player number.  Mr. Dye is a native Pennsylvanian, and the famous auto is sponsored here at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix by Hefren-Tillotson, Inc., one of Western Pennsylvania’s largest investment advisory and financial planning firms.