Roberto Clemente

Lore & Background

Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and was a track and field star and an Olympic hopeful in his youth before focusing on baseball. His professional career began at age 18 with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed him to a bonus of $10,000, but due to the bonus rule and the Dodgers' decision to send him to the minor leagues, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him after the 1954 season. Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, at age 38, while en route to deliver aid to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake. After his death, the National Baseball Hall of Fame changed its rules so that a player dead for at least six months could be eligible; Clemente was posthumously inducted in 1973, becoming the first Latino and Caribbean player and second of Hispanic descent in the Hall of Fame.

Reader's Guide

Clemente’s playing style was defined by exceptional athleticism, honed in part by his youth as a track and field star and Olympic hopeful in the high jump and javelin throw; he credited the javelin for strengthening his arm and improving his footwork. On the field, he was a right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates across 18 seasons, earning 15 All-Star selections and winning 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1961 through 1972. He led the National League in batting average four times (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), posted a batting average above .300 for 13 seasons, and collected 3,000 hits. In 1966, he was named National League Most Valuable Player. Clemente was a two-time World Series champion, and in 1971 he became the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to receive a World Series MVP Award. His charitable work during offseasons focused on Latin American and Caribbean communities. In December 1972, while en route to deliver emergency aid for survivors of the Nicaragua earthquake, his chartered plane crashed off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, killing him at age 38. Following his death, the National Baseball Hall of Fame altered its eligibility rules, allowing his posthumous induction in 1973 as the first Latino and Caribbean player enshrined. MLB later renamed its Commissioner’s Award the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, community involvement, and contributions to his team.

Did You Know?

• Clemente was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to win a World Series as a starting position player (1960), to receive an NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971).
• Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake.
• After his death, the Hall of Fame changed its rules to allow induction of players dead for at least six months; Clemente was inducted in 1973.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Chronological by date of occurrence (where available) or earliest known publication date." — Roberto Clemente "Bobby, it don't matter how you stand; it matter where you end up!" — Roberto Clemente "I had offers from Dodgers, Giants and Braves. Braves offer same amount as Dodgers but I have many friends on Brooklyn team. I feel more at home there and I sign." — Roberto Clemente "Clemente, who says Josh Gibson is the best hitter he ever saw, is anxious to see Ted Williams when the slugger comes here a week from Monday for the benefit exhibition between the Pirates and Red Sox." — Roberto Clemente