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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Roberto Clemente

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Roberto Clemente.
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Roberto Clemente. (credit: UPI/Bettmann Archive)
(born Aug. 18, 1934, Carolina, P.R.died Dec. 31, 1972, off the coast of Puerto Rico) Puerto Rican baseball player. Clemente played in the minor leagues in his native land before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. He led the National League in hitting in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967, and batted .362 in two World Series (1960, 1970). He was also known for his fielding, throwing, and base stealing. His career was cut short when he died in the crash of an airplane loaded with relief supplies he had collected for Nicaraguan earthquake victims.

For more information on Roberto Clemente, visit Britannica.com.

Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Roberto Clemente

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A dazzling baseball superstar of surpassing skills, Roberto Clemente (1934-1972) was the first great Latin American player to captivate the majorleagues. His life was cut short when his plane, delivering relief supplies to earthquake-devastated Nicaragua, crashed on the last day of 1972.

A Puerto Rican national hero, Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente spent his sparkling 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He enchanted fans with his powerful throwing arm, graceful outfield defense, and superb hitting. Clemente won Gold Glove Awards, symbolizing defensive supremacy, every year from their inception in 1961 until his death in 1972. He also was elected to the National League All-Star team 12 times. Clemente was an outspoken advocate for Hispanic rights and a humanitarian. His untimely death came while he was leading a mission of mercy.

Clemente's ancestors were Puerto Rican laborers who worked on the island's coffee and sugar plantations. His father, Melchor Clemente, was in his mid-50s when Roberto was born in the Puerto Rican town of Carolina on August 18, 1934. Roberto was the last of six children for him and his wife, Dona Luisa. Melchor Clemente was a foreman at a sugar cane mill and ran a small grocery. His wife rose early to do the family laundry for the owner of the mill. She was very religious, and often fed poor children who came to her house. Clemente's parents instilled in him the values of hard work, respect, dignity, and generosity. "I never heard any hate in my house," Clemente said. "Not for anybody. I never heard my mother say a bad word to my father, or my father to my mother." He revered his parents throughout his life.

Even in his childhood, Roberto was an organizer. He once led a group of boys in raising money to build a fence to protect his school, and another time rescued a driver from a burning car. Beginning at the age of nine, he got up daily at six o'clock to deliver milk for a penny a day, saving his earnings for three years in order to buy a bicycle. From an early age, Clemente developed a passion for baseball. "I wanted to be a ballplayer," he said. "I became convinced God wanted me to." He would hit bottle caps with a broomstick, throw tennis balls against walls, and practice his skills endlessly.

At the age of 18, Clemente attended a tryout camp conducted by Brooklyn Dodgers scout and future general manager Al Campanis. Among 70 players, Clemente stood out. "He was the best free-agent athlete I have ever seen," Campanis recalled. After playing with Santurce in the Puerto Rican winter league, Clemente signed with the Dodgers for a $10,000 bonus and a $5,000 salary. He played in 1954 with the Dodgers' Montreal farm club. But when Brooklyn didn't protect him on its roster, he was drafted by Pittsburgh. "I didn't even know where Pittsburgh was," Clemente later confessed. The Pirates installed him as their right fielder

Pride of Puerto Rico

"Clemente was our Jackie Robinson," said Puerto Rican journalist Luis Mayoral. "He was on a crusade to show the American public what an Hispanic man, a black Hispanic man, was capable of." Robinson had broken baseball's color bar in 1947 with the Dodgers. Clemente was not baseball's first Hispanic player-others such as Minnie Minoso preceded him-but he was the first to make a major impact on the game.

When Clemente made his major league debut on April 17, 1955, he was listed as "Bob" on the Pirates roster because Roberto sounded too foreign. He made an immediate impression with his skills, his style, and his bearing. Though less than six feet tall and weighing only 175 pounds, Clemente swung an imposing 36-ounce bat. He stood far off the plate, legs spread wide, holding his bat high and leaning his powerful upper body over the plate. Using his quick hands and strong arms, he could handle pitches thrown in any location, often driving them to the opposite field.

Asked how to pitch to Clemente, Dodgers Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax replied jokingly: "Roll the ball." Clemente himself, not known for modesty, said: "Pitch me outside, I will hit .400. Pitch me inside, and you will not find the ball." Power was the only attribute separating Clemente from Willie Mays, to whom he was frequently compared as an all-around player. Clemente was a line-drive hitter who cleared the fences at the rate of about 15 home runs a season.

Whether in the field or on the basepaths, Clemente always hustled, often running out from under his helmet or hat "He played just about every game like his life depended on it," said his Pirates teammate, Willie Stargell. His acrobatic fielding delighted fans. He covered an enormous amount of ground, caught fly balls no one else could reach, and made tremendous throws. Many experts considered his outfield arm the best ever seen in baseball. Few runners would try to take extra bases against him, yet he still led the National League in outfield assists in five seasons. One time, he threw out Lee May of Cincinnati trying to score from third base on a single.

Despite his skills, Clemente had a difficult transition to major league baseball. Sportswriters often misunderstood his broken English and misquoted him. Sometimes they even made his English look worse than it was. He also had frequent run-ins with quick-tempered Pirates manager, Danny Murtaugh. In his first five seasons, Clemente hit over .300 only once and never had more than seven home runs.

In 1960, he had a breakthrough season, leading Pittsburgh to the World Series. Against the vaunted New York Yankees, he had nine hits. After the Pirates won the Series on Bill Mazeroski's dramatic home run, Clemente skipped the team party and walked the streets of Pittsburgh to personally thank the fans. Yet the baseball writers elected Pirates shortstop Dick Groat, who had a .325 batting average with two homers and 50 runs batted in, as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1960. Clemente finished eighth in the voting with a .314 average, 16 home runs, and 94 runs batted in. Clemente publicly expressed his anger at the voting, saying it showed bias against Latin players.

In 1961, Clemente won the National League batting championship with a .351 average and hit 23 home runs. He hit above .300 in 12 of his final 13 seasons and led the league in batting three more times, in 1964, 1965 and 1967. In his homeland, he was a bona fide hero. Clemente became known as "the Pride of Puerto Rico."

Speaking Out

Clemente was outspoken about his perceptions of prejudice toward Hispanic players. "Latin American Negro ballplayers are treated today much like all Negroes were treated in baseball in the early days of the broken color barrier," he told Sport magazine. "They are subjected to prejudices and stamped with generalizations." One example of such prejudice, Clemente thought, was writers' frequent portrayals of him as a hypochondriac. Clemente often complained of health problems, including backaches, headaches, stomachaches, insomnia, tonsillitis, malaria, sore shoulders, and pulled muscles. Often before stepping into the batter's box, he would roll his shoulders and neck, trying to align his spine. He insisted that his injuries were as real as the pains suffered by Mickey Mantle, a contemporary white superstar. He pointed out that nobody accused the great Mantle of being a malingerer.

Clemente grew increasingly annoyed that, unlike contemporary white stars, he never was asked to do commercial endorsements. "I would make a lot more money in baseball if I were a white American," he said in typically blunt fashion.

Intense and outspoken, Clemente often aroused controversy with his political views. He was a staunch advocate of Hispanic civil rights and a close associate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Clemente was a frequent participant in the social issues and campaigns of the 1960s. "I am from the poor people; I represent the poor people," Clemente once said. "I like workers. I like people that suffer because these people have a different approach to life from the people that have everything and don't know what suffering is."

Clemente often took younger Latin players under his wing. In 1966, his young teammate, Matty Alou, wrested the batting championship from him. This was accomplished largely by following Clemente's constant admonitions to hit outside pitches to the opposite field.

A Legacy of Hope

Clemente was more than a ballplayer. He was a remarkably sensitive and intelligent man. He wrote poetry and played the organ, worked in ceramic art, and studied chiropractic medicine. His strongest commitment was to the young people of Puerto Rico. During the off-season, he conducted baseball clinics all over the island, talking to children about the virtues of hard work, citizenship, and respect for their elders.

Clemente again led the Pirates to the World Series in 1971. With a show-stopping performance on national television, he finally achieved the recognition he had long deserved. Clemente hit a home run in the final game to help the Pirates win and was named Most Valuable Player of the Series. Asked by sportscasters how he felt, his first statement was to his parents, in Spanish. Translated, it was: "On the greatest day of my life, I ask for your blessing."

Toward the end of his career, Clemente felt he had made some headway against prejudice. "My greatest satisfaction comes from helping to erase the old opinion about Latin Americans and blacks," he said.

A Fatal Plane Crash

In 1972, at the age of 37, he was still going strong. He played in only 102 games due to various injuries but still batted .312. On September 30, the last day of the season, Clemente got his 3,000th career hit, becoming the eleventh man to reach that famous mark. The hit, a ringing double, turned out to be his last. Moved by the plight of Nicaraguans devastated by a major earthquake, Clemente feared that the Puerto Rican military was intercepting relief shipments. He insisted on personally delivering supplies collected by the people of Puerto Rico. The prop-driven DC-7 that was carrying Clemente and the aid packages on December 31, 1972 crashed into the ocean soon after taking off from San Juan. The cause of the crash was never determined; a cargo overload may have been a factor. The island of Puerto Rico and the city of Pittsburgh were both overwhelmed by grief. A Catholic nun in Pittsburgh wrote a letter to Clemente's widow, Vera, saying: "He fell into the water so that his spirit could be carried by the ocean to more places." Three months after his death, the Baseball Writers Association voted Clemente into the Hall of Fame, the first Latin American player to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Clemente long had dreamed about developing a youth camp in his native Puerto Rico. After his death, Vera Clemente took the lead in developing the camp. Cuidad Deportiva Roberto Clemente was built on 304 acres of marshland donated by the Puerto Rican government. Over the years, its Raiders baseball academy developed a number of major league stars, including Juan Gonzalez, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez, Sandy Alomar Jr., Benito Santiago, Carlos Baerga, Ruben Sierra, and Jose Guzman. Besides athletic facilities, it also has programs in drama, dance, music, folklore, and crafts. This camp is in keeping with Clemente's vision of a place where young people can follow their dreams.

Clemente's legacy of magnificent athleticism and an abiding belief in human potential proved a lasting one. At the 1994 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, a bronze statue honoring Clemente was unveiled at Three Rivers Stadium. At a speech in Houston, a year before his death, Clemente had said: "If you have an opportunity to make things better, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth."

Further Reading

Musick, Phil. Who Was Roberto?: A Biography of Roberto Clemente, Doubleday, 1974. [/reading

Maclean's, April 13, 1987.

Smithsonian, September 1993.

Sporting News, December 28, 1992; October 27, 1997; January 12, 1998.

Sports Illustrated, August 17, 1984; October 5, 1987; September 19, 1994.

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Roberto Clemente

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Clemente, Roberto Walker (rəbĕr'tō, kləmĕn'tē Span. rōbĕr'tō klāmĕn'tā), 1934-72, Puerto Rican baseball player, b. Carolina, Puerto Rico. He played his entire major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-72) and was the mainspring of their successes for 18 years. He reached the 3,000-hit plateau in 1972. A right fielder, Clemente was capable of throwing out a runner from his knees. He had a lifetime batting average of .317 and hit 240 home runs. He died in an airplane crash while attempting to take food and medicine to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Bibliography

See biography by D. Maraniss (2006).

Quotes By:

Roberto Clemente

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Quotes:

"If I would be happy, I would be a bad ballplayer. With me, when I get mad, it puts energy in my body."

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Roberto Clemente

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Roberto Clemente

Right fielder
Born: (1934-08-18)August 18, 1934
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Died: December 31, 1972(1972-12-31) (aged 38)
Off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Batted: Right Threw: Right 
MLB debut
April 17, 1955 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1972 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics
Batting average     .317
Hits     3,000
Home runs     240
Runs batted in     1,305
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Baseball Hall of Fame Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg
Induction     1973
Vote     92.7% (first ballot)

Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 through 1972. Clemente was awarded the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1966. He was on the NL All-Star team 15 times, received 12 Gold Glove Awards, and led the NL in batting average four times. In 1972, Clemente got his 3,000th major league hit.

Off the field, Clemente was involved in charity work in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering baseball equipment and food to those in need. He died in an aviation accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Clemente was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973, becoming the first Latin American to be selected and the only current Hall of Fame member for whom the mandatory five-year waiting period has been waived. Clemente is also the first Hispanic player to win a World Series as a starter (1960), receive an MVP Award (1966), and receive a World Series MVP Award (1971).

Contents

Early life

Roberto Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to Don Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker. He was the youngest of seven siblings, having four brothers and two sisters. During his childhood, Don Melchor worked as foreman of the sugar crops located in the municipality.[1] The family's resources were limited and Roberto had to work to earn money; this work included delivering milk cans to the family's neighbors.

Clemente demonstrated interest in baseball early in his life and would often play against neighboring barrios. He studied at Vizcarondo High School, a public school located in Carolina. During his first year in high school, he was recruited by Roberto Marin to play softball with the Sello Rojo team; Marin had taken interest in Clemente when he saw him playing baseball in Barrio San Anton.[2] He was with the team two years, playing shortstop. Clemente joined Puerto Rico's amateur league when he was sixteen years old; while there, he played for the Ferdinand Juncos team, which represented the municipality of Juncos.[3]

On November 14, 1964, he married Vera Zabala at San Fernando Church in Carolina. The couple had three children: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Enrique Roberto.

Baseball career

Clemente's professional career began when Pedrín Zorilla offered him a contract with the Santurce Crabbers of the LBBPR.[4] He was a bench player during his first campaign, but was promoted to the team's starting lineup the following season. During this season he hit .288 as the team's leadoff hitter. While Clemente was playing in the LBBPR, the Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a contract with the team's Triple-A subsidiary.[5] He then moved to Montreal to play with the Montreal Royals. The climate and language differences affected Clemente early on, but he received the assistance of his teammate Joe Black, who was able to speak Spanish. In 1954, Clyde Sukeforth, a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates, noticed that Clemente was being used as a bench player for the team and discussed the possibility of drafting Clemente to the Pirates with the team's manager, Max Macon.[6] The Pirates selected Clemente as the first selection of the rookie draft that took place on November 22, 1954.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Clemente debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 17, 1955 in the first game of a double header against the Brooklyn Dodgers.[7] At the beginning of his time with the Pirates, he experienced frustration because of racial tension with the local media and some teammates.[8][9] Clemente responded to this by stating, "I don’t believe in color".[10] He noted that, during his upbringing, he was taught to never discriminate against someone based on ethnicity.[10]

During the middle of the season, Clemente was involved in a car accident; this caused him to miss several games with an injury in his lower back.[11] He finished his rookie season with an average of .255, despite confronting trouble hitting certain types of pitches.[12] His defensive skills, however, were highlighted during this season.[13]

During the off season, Clemente played with the Santurce Crabbers in the Puerto Rican baseball winter league, where he was already considered a star.[14]The Pirates experienced several difficult seasons through the 1950s, although they did manage their first winning season since 1948 in 1959. During the winter season of 1958–59, Clemente didn't play winter baseball in Puerto Rico; instead, he joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He spent his six month active duty commitment at Parris Island, South Carolina, and Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. At Parris Island, Clemente received his basic training with Platoon 346 of the 3rd Recruit Battalion.[15] The rigorous training programs helped Clemente physically; he added strength by gaining ten pounds and said his back troubles had disappeared. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve until September 1964.[16][17][18]

The 1960s

A statue of Clemente stands outside of PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Early in the 1960 season, Clemente led the league, batting an average of .353 and scoring Runs Batted In (RBIs) in twenty-five out of twenty-seven games.[19] Roberto's batting average stayed above the .300 mark throughout the course of the campaign. In August, he was inactive for five games as a result of an injury on his chin; he received this injury when his head impacted a concrete wall while he was trying to catch a hard line hit that reached the park's outer wall. Following this accident, he was transported to a local hospital, where the doctors stitched his chin; this prohibited him from playing until the injury was healed.[20] The Pirates compiled a 95–59 record during the regular season, winning the National League pennant, and defeated the New York Yankees in a seven-game World Series. Clemente batted .310 in the series, hitting safely at least once in every game.[21] His .314 batting average, 16 home runs, and defense during the course of the season earned him his first participation in the All-Star game, where he served as a reserve player.

During 1961 spring training, Clemente tried to modify his batting technique by using a heavier bat in order to slow the speed of his swing, following advice from Pirates' batting coach George Sisler.[22] During the 1961 season, Clemente was selected as the starting right fielder for the National League in the All-Star game. In this game, he batted a triple on his first at-bat and scored the team's first run. With the American League ahead 4–3 in the tenth inning, Clemente hit a double that gave the National League a decisive 5–4 win.[23]

Following the season, he traveled to Puerto Rico along with Orlando Cepeda, who was a native of Ponce. When both players arrived, they were received by 18,000 people.[24] On November 14, 1964, Clemente married Vera Zabala. The ceremony took place in the church of San Fernando in Carolina and was attended by thousands of fanatics.[25] During this time, he was also involved in managing the Senadores de San Juan, as well as playing with the team during the Major League offseason. During the course of the winter league, Clemente was injured and only participated as a pinch hitter in the league's All-Star game. He experienced a complication on his injury during the course of this game and underwent surgery shortly after being carried off the playing field.[26]

This condition limited his role with the Pirates in the first half of the 1965 season, during which he batted an average of .257. He was inactive for several games during this stage of the campaign before being fully active; when he returned to the starting lineup, he hit in thirty-three out of thirty-four games and his average improved to .340.[27] Roberto and Vera had their first son on August 17, 1965, when Roberto Clemente, Jr. was born; he was the first of three children, along with Luis Roberto and Enrique Roberto.[28] During the 1960s, he batted over .300 in every year except 1968, when he hit .291.[29] He was selected to every All-Star game, and he was given a Gold Glove every season from 1961 onwards.[29] He led the National League in batting average four times (1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967), led the National League in hits twice (1964 and 1967), and won the Most Valuable Player award in the 1966 season, when he hit .317 while setting career highs in home runs (29) and RBI (119).[29] In 1967, he registered a career high .357 average and hit twenty-three home runs and 110 runs batted in.[29]

The 1970s

External audio
You may watch Roberto Clemente's hit number 3,000 here

The 1970 season was the last one that the Pittsburgh Pirates played in Forbes Field before moving to Three Rivers Stadium; for Clemente, abandoning this stadium was an emotional situation. The Pirates' final game at Forbes Field took place on June 28, 1970. That day, Clemente noted that it was hard to play in a different field, saying, "I spent half my life there".[30] The night of July 4, 1970, was declared "Roberto Clemente Night"; on this day, several Puerto Rican fans traveled to Three Rivers Stadium and cheered Clemente while wearing traditional Puerto Rican indumentary. A ceremony to honor Clemente took place, during which he received a scroll with 300,000 signatures compiled in Puerto Rico, and several thousands of dollars were donated to charity work following Clemente's request.[31][32]

During the 1970 campaign, Clemente compiled an average of .352; the Pirates won the National League East pennant but were subsequently eliminated by the Cincinnati Reds. In the offseason, Clemente experienced some tense situations while he was working as manager of the Senadores and when his father, Melchor Clemente, experienced medical problems and was subjected to a surgery.[33]

In the 1971 season, the Pirates won the National League pennant and faced the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Baltimore had won 100 games and swept the American League Championship Series, both for the third consecutive year, and were the defending World Series champions. The Orioles won the first two games in the series, but Pittsburgh won the championship in seven games. This marked the second occasion that Clemente had won a World Series with the Pirates. Over the course of the series, Clemente batted a .414 average (12 hits in 29 at-bats), performed well defensively, and hit a solo home run in the deciding 2–1 seventh game victory.[34] Following the conclusion of the season, he received the World Series Most Valuable Player award. Struggling with injuries, Clemente only managed to appear in 102 games in 1972, but he still hit .312 for his final .300 season.[34] On September 30, in a game at Three Rivers Stadium, he hit a double off Jon Matlack of the New York Mets for his 3,000th hit.[35] It was the last at-bat of his career during a regular season, though he did play in the 1972 NLCS playoffs against the Cincinnati Reds.[34] In the playoffs, he batted .235 as he went 4 for 17. His last game ever was at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium in the fifth game of the playoff series. He and Bill Mazeroski were the last Pirate players remaining from the 1960 World Series champions.

Death in airplane accident

Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work. When Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, was affected by a massive earthquake on Saturday December 23, 1972, Clemente (who had been visiting Managua three weeks before the quake) immediately set to work arranging emergency relief flights.[36] He soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government, never reaching victims of the quake.[37]

Clemente decided to accompany the fourth relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors.[38] The airplane he chartered for a New Year's Eve flight, a Douglas DC-7, had a history of mechanical problems and sub-par flight personnel, and it was overloaded by 4,200 pounds.[39] It crashed into the ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on Sunday December 31, 1972.[40] A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case apparently belonging to Clemente was the only personal item recovered from the plane. Clemente's teammate and close friend Manny Sanguillen was the only member of the Pirates not to attend Roberto's memorial service. The catcher chose instead to dive into the waters where Clemente's plane had crashed in an effort to find his teammate. Clemente's body was never recovered.[40]

At the time of his death, Clemente had established several records with the Pirates, including most triples in a game (three) and hits in two consecutive games (ten).[41] These include tying the record for most Gold Glove Awards won among outfielders with twelve, which he shares with Willie Mays.[42] He also is the only player to have hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam.[43] He accomplished this historic baseball-event on July 25, 1956 in a 9–8 Pittsburgh win against the Chicago Cubs, at Forbes Field. In addition, he was one of four players to have ten or more Gold Gloves and a lifetime batting average of .317.

Posthumous honors

Roberto Clemente Coliseum
Pirates Roberto Clemente.png
Roberto Clemente's number 21 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1973.

On March 20, 1973, the Baseball Writers Association of America held a special election for the Baseball Hall of Fame. They voted to waive the waiting period for Clemente, due to the circumstances of his death, and posthumously elected him for induction into the Hall of Fame, giving him 393 of the 420 available votes, or 92% of the vote. Clemente's Hall of Fame plaque had originally read "Roberto Walker Clemente". In 2000, the plaque was recast to express his name in the proper Hispanic format, "Roberto Clemente Walker".[44]

MLB presents the Roberto Clemente Award every year to the player who best follows Clemente's example with humanitarian work.[45] In 1973, Clemente was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the first Presidential Citizens Medal. In 2002, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2003, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.[18] On October 26, 2005, Clemente was named a member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.[46] At the Major League Baseball All-Star game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 11, 2006, many of the players on both teams wore yellow wristbands with the initials "RCW" in honor of Clemente. At the end of the fourth inning, Clemente was awarded the Commissioner's Historical Achievement Award by the Commissioner of Baseball; the award was accepted by his widow.[47] During the award presentation, the Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig stated that "Roberto was a hero in every sense of the world".[47]

PNC Park, the home ballpark of the Pirates which opened in 2001, includes a right field wall 21 feet (6.4 m) high, in reference to Clemente's uniform number and his normal fielding position during his years with the Pirates.[48] The Pirates originally erected a statue in memory of Clemente at Three Rivers Stadium, an honor previously awarded to Honus Wagner. The statue was moved to PNC Park when it opened, and stands at the corner near the Roberto Clemente Bridge. There was talk of the team even naming PNC Park after Clemente, but despite popular sentiment, the team chose instead to sell the naming rights to locally-based PNC Financial Services, with the bridge being renamed after him considered a compromise.[49]

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Puerto Rico has honored Clemente's memory by naming the coliseum in San Juan the Roberto Clemente Coliseum; two baseball parks are in Carolina, the professional one, Roberto Clemente Stadium, and the Double-A. There is also the Escuela de los Deportes (School of Sports) that has the Double-A baseball park. Today, this sports complex is called Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente.[50] In Pittsburgh, the 6th Street Bridge was renamed in his memory, and the Pirates retired his number 21 at the start of the 1973 season.[51] The City of Pittsburgh maintains Roberto Clemente Memorial Park along North Shore Drive in the city's North Side which includes a bronze relief by sculptor Eleanor Milleville. In 2007, the Roberto Clemente Museum opened in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh.[52] Near the old Forbes Field where he began his pro career the city of Pittsburgh has renamed a street in his honor. In 1973, the state of New York opened Roberto Clemente State Park in The Bronx.[53] Some schools, such as Roberto Clemente High School in Chicago, Illinois the Roberto Clemente Charter School in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Roberto Clemente Academy in Detroit, Michigan, were named in his honor.[54] Clemente was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame. There's also a Roberto Clemente Stadium in Masaya, Nicaragua. There's also a middle school in Germantown, Maryland called Roberto W. Clemente Middle School

On August 17, 1984, the day before what would have been his 50th birthday, the United States Postal Service issued a postage stamp honoring Clemente.[55] Designed by Juan Lopez-Bonilla, the spare clean design shows Clemente wearing his Pirates cap, with the Puerto Rican flag in the background. In 1999, he ranked Number 20 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking Latino player on the list.[56] Later that year, Clemente was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.[57] As part of the Golden Anniversary of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Clemente was selected to the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team.[58]

Clemente's #21 remains active in Major League Baseball, and is worn by multiple players. Sammy Sosa wore #21 throughout his career as a tribute to his childhood hero.[59] The number is unofficially retired in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. While the topic of retiring #21 throughout Major League Baseball like Jackie Robinson's #42 has been broached, and supported by groups such as Hispanics Across America, Jackie Robinson's daughter disagrees, believing that Major League Baseball should honor him another way.[60]

Biographies and documentaries

Clemente's life has been the subject of numerous books, articles and documentaries. David Maraniss wrote a book titled Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, which was published in 2006. Clemente is also the subject of a one-hour biography as part of the Public Broadcasting Service history series, American Experience which premiered on April 21, 2008.[61] The film is directed by Bernardo Ruiz, narrated by Jimmy Smits and features interviews with Vera Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and George F. Will.[61] The production received an ALMA Award. In 2011 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente was released, a graphic novel by Wilfred Santiago detailing Clemente's life in a comic-book format. In their USA Today Magazine article titled "Saluting Pittsburgh's Finest" Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg said Clemente was "arguably the best in the history of the game" and stated that "understanding the magnitude of Roberto Clemente requires an appreciation of the gestalt of his presence, which was greater than the sum of his statistics".[62]

A movie called Chasing 3000 was created based on a true story of two kids named Mickey (played by Ray Liotta, Trevor Morgan and Blake Woodyard) and Roger (played by Jay Karnes, Rory Culkin and Nicholas Brady) as they go on an adventure to travel across the United States to see Roberto Clemente's 3000th hit.

See also

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References

  1. ^ Paul Roberto Walker (1988). "The way of the Jibaro". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 3. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Roberto's father,Don Melchor Clemente, worked as foreman in the sugar fields." 
  2. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Where Are You Going, Momen?". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 20. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "For the next two years, Roberto played for the Sello Rojo softball team." 
  3. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Where Are You Going, Momen?". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 20. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "When he was sixteen, he played for the Ferdinand Juncos team in the Puerto Rican amateur league." 
  4. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Tell the Man I Will Sign". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 25. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. ""Well, Marin," said señor Zorilla, "we can give him $400 bonus and maybe $ 40.00 a week until he learns to wear a uniform."" 
  5. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Wearing the Uniform". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 33. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. ""Roberto," said Pedrin Zorilla, "I have spoken with Mr. Campanis. The Dodgers would like to sign you to a contract with their Triple-A team in Montreal. They will pay you a signing bonus of $10,000 and a salary of $5,000 for the year"" 
  6. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "It's For Your Own Good". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 41. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. ""I noticed you haven’t been playing Clemente much." Sukeforth smiled across the dinner table at Max Macon. The two men had known each other for years. There was no sense in trying to fool each other. "Well, I don’t care if you never play him" continued the Pittsburgh scout. "We’re going to finish last, and we’re going to draft him number one."" 
  7. ^ Paul Robert Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "It was Sunday, April 17, 1955, and the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the first game of a double-header against the Brooklyn Dodgers.[...] For Roberto Clemente it was his first time at bat in the major leagues." 
  8. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Even on his own team, some of the players made fun of him and called him a "nigger." Roberto grew furious at their insults." 
  9. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "There were other insults as well. In the newspapers, the writers called him a "Puerto Rican hot dog." When they quoted the things he said they exaggerated his accent." 
  10. ^ a b Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. ""I don’t believe in color," Roberto said. "I believe in people. I always respect everyone and thanks to God my mother and my father taught me never to hate, never to dislike someone based of their color." 
  11. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "To make matters worse, Roberto had to sit out many games because of pain in his lower back. During the winter, a drunken driver had rammed into his car at sixty miles per hour." 
  12. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Roberto continued to struggle at the plate throughout his rookie season, finally finishing with a .255 average." 
  13. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "In the outfield, however, he quickly established himself as an outstanding performer." 
  14. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I play like Roberto Clemente". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Once again he was playing for the Santurce Crabbers. In the winter league he was an established star." 
  15. ^ "Clemente, The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero"; By: David Maraniss; pag. 88; Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN 978-0-7432-1781-1
  16. ^ Clemente to Start Six-Month Marine Corps Hitch, October 4,. The Sporting News. September 24, 1958. pp. 7. 
  17. ^ Buc Flyhawk Now Marine Rookie. The Sporting News. November 19, 1958. pp. 13. 
  18. ^ a b "Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame: Roberto Clemente". http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/hof/2003-clemente.cfm. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  19. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Beat 'Em, Bucs!". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 63. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "In May, while the Pirates were fighting the San Francisco Giants for first place, Roberto drove in 25 runs in 27 games. By the end of the month he was leading the league with a batting average of .353 and the Pirates were ahead of the Giants by one and a half games." 
  20. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Beat 'Em, Bucs!". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 64. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Roberto was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. The doctors stitched up his jaw and he sat out the next five games waiting for it to heal" 
  21. ^ Juan Mercado. "Roberto Clemente Un verdadero símbolo latinoamericano". [A] hora.com. http://www.ahora.com.do/Edicion1250/SECCIONES/deportes.html. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  22. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Beat 'Em, Bucs!". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 74. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Now, in the spring of 1961, he made another improvement. He began using a heavier bat to slow down his swing and make better contact with the ball." 
  23. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Beat 'Em, Bucs!". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 77. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Then he brought his bat around and smashed a line drive to right field. As Roberto raced for first, Willie Mays rounded third and headed for home. The National League had won by a score of 5-4!" 
  24. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "Beat 'Em, Bucs!". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 78–79. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "When the plane landed, Roberto and Cepeda received a hero's welcome. Eighteen thousand people stood cheering on the side of the road as they were driven from the airport to Sixto Escobar Stadium." 
  25. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "It Is My Life". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 84. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Thousands of people filled the plaza in Carolina on November 14, 1964. It was a beautiful sunny day., but they were not there for the sunshine. Inside the church of San Fernando, Roberto Clemente was marrying Vera Zabala." 
  26. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "It Is My Life". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 85. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "The injury had not affected his swing, and he smashed a hard line drive to right field. But as he limped to first base, his leg collapsed beneath him. He was rushed to the hospital, and a few days later, the doctors cut open his leg to drain a pool of blood in his thigh." 
  27. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "It Is My Life". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "Clemente was back and so were the Pirates. Roberto hit safely in 33 out of 34 games, raising his average all the way up to .340." 
  28. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "MVP". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 90. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "On August 17, 1965, while Roberto Sr. was chasing his third batting title, Vera gave birth to Roberto Jr." 
  29. ^ a b c d "ESPN - Roberto Clemente MLB Career Stats - Major League Baseball". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/alltime/playercard?playerId=2482&type=0. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  30. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I Don't Have The Words". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 106. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "On June 28, 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates played their last game at Forbes Field. For Roberto it was an emotional moment. "I spent half my life there", he said." 
  31. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I Don't Have The Words". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 107. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "A young Puerto Rican businessman named Juan Jiménez presented Roberto with a scroll containing 300,000 signatures from the people of Puerto Rico." 
  32. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I Don't Have The Words". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 108. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "At Roberto's request, thousands of dollars were donated to help the crippled children at Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital." 
  33. ^ Paul Rober Walker (1988). "I Don't Have The Words". Pride of Puerto Rico: The life of Roberto Clemente. United States: Harcourt Brace & Company. pp. 111–112. ISBN 0-15-307557-0. "That winter, Roberto had other concerns as well. Don Melchor fell seriously ll and had to have surgery." 
  34. ^ a b c Larry Schwartz. "Clemente quietly grew in stature". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Clemente_Roberto.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  35. ^ "Roberto Clemente Award". Major League Baseball. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/community/clemente.jsp. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  36. ^ "White House Dream Team: Roberto Walker Clemente". White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/dreamteam/robertoclemente.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  37. ^ "El vuelo solidario y temerario de Clemente". El Nuevo Diario. http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2004/diciembre/11-diciembre-2004/nacional/nacional-20041211-15.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  38. ^ "Hispanic Heritage: Roberto Clemente". Gale Gengage Learning. http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/clemente_r.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  39. ^ Roberto Clemente plane ruled unfit
  40. ^ a b "Roberto Clemente". Latino Legends in Sports. http://www.latinosportslegends.com/clemente.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  41. ^ "Pirates Single Game Records". Pittsburgh Pirates. http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/single_game_records.jsp. Retrieved 2008-01-09. 
  42. ^ "Gold Glove National League Outfielders". Baseball Almanac. http://baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_ggnl.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-09. 
  43. ^ "Roberto Clemente Presente!". leftfield.com. http://leftfield.homestead.com/roberto_clemente.html. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  44. ^ "Roberto Clemente Plaque is Recast to Correct Cultural Inaccuracy; New One Travels to Puerto Rico (November 2000)". National Hall of Fame and Museum. 2000-09-18. Archived from the original on April 28, 2003. http://web.archive.org/web/20030428013259/http://209.23.71.87/whats_new/press_releases/2000/pr2000_09_19.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-03. 
  45. ^ Marc Zarefsku (2007-09-06). "Baseball honors Roberto Clemente". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080207084045/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070906&content_id=4991&vkey=hof_news. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  46. ^ Jesses Sanchez (2005-10-26). "Latino Legends team announced". Major League Baseball. http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051026&content_id=1260107&vkey=printer_friendly&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  47. ^ a b Barry M. Bloom (2006-07-12). "Baseball honors Clemente". Major League Baseball. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1553135&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  48. ^ "PNC Park Overview". Major League Baseball. http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/ballpark/index.jsp. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
  49. ^ http://www.pittsburghsportsreport.com/1998-Issues/psr9809/98090106.html
  50. ^ "Bienvenidos". Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente (official website). http://www.rcsc21.com/index.php?page=homepage. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  51. ^ Johnna A. (1999-04-08). "Clemente's family helps to christen renamed bridge". post-gazette.com. http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19990408clemente3.asp. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  52. ^ Diana Nelson Jones (2007-07-23). "Clemente Museum brightens Lower Lawrenceville outlook". The Pittsburgh Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07204/803776-63.stm. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  53. ^ "State Parks : Roberto Clemente State Park". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/140/details.aspx. Retrieved 2009-10-10. 
  54. ^ "About Us". Roberto Clemente Community Academy. http://www.clementehs.org/. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  55. ^ "National Postal Museum to feature Roberto Clemente Walker". Hispania News. http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2001/April13/04.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  56. ^ "The Sporting News Baseball 100 Greatest Players". The Sporting News. http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-1.html. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 
  57. ^ "All-Century Team final voting". ESPN. 1999-10-23. http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html. Retrieved 2009-03-05. 
  58. ^ Roberto Clemente at the Rawlings All Time Gold Glove Award winners
  59. ^ Cunniff, Bill (1999-11-26). "Sosa plays host at party at his island mansion". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 3. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB424463A5BF794&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2008-10-04. 
  60. ^ "Sharon Robinson: honor Clemente some other way". Associated Press. ESPN. January 24, 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2304057&type=story. Retrieved 2009-08-17. "The daughter of Jackie Robinson thinks Major League Baseball should not retire Roberto Clemente's No. 21, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday. The Hispanics Across America advocacy group wants Clemente's number set aside the way the late Robinson's No. 42 was nine years ago. But Sharon Robinson said that honor should remain for her father only." 
  61. ^ a b "American Experience: Roberto Clemente". Public Broadcasting Service. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/clemente/. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 
  62. ^ Richard E. Vatz and Lee S. Weinberg, Saluting Pittsburgh's Finest. USA Today Magazine. July 2008.

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Eddie Mathews
Pete Rose
Ron Santo		 Major League Player of the Month
May 1960
May 1967
July 1969		 Succeeded by
Lindy McDaniel
Hank Aaron
Willie Davis
Formerly the Pittsburgh Alleghenys · Founded in 1882 · Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Franchise
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Culture
Retired Numbers
1 · 4 · 8 · 9 · 11 · 20 · 21 · 33 · 40 · 42
Rivalries
Minors
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Championships (5)
1909 · 1925 · 1960 · 1971 · 1979
League Pennants (9)
American Association: none · National League: 1901 · 1902 · 1903 · 1909 · 1925 · 1927 · 1960 · 1971 · 1979
Division Titles (9)
East: 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1974 · 1975 · 1979 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · Central: none · Wild Card: none
Media
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Infielders
Outfielders
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BBWAA Vote
Veterans Committee
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J. G. Taylor Spink Award


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