Roberto Clemente

Lore & Background

Clemente was born in Barrio San Antón in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of six siblings. His father worked as a foreman for sugar cane crops, and Clemente worked alongside his brothers loading and unloading trucks. He showed early interest in baseball, playing against neighboring barrios, and at fourteen was recruited to play softball. He attended Julio Vizcarrondo High School, where he was a track and field star in the high jump and javelin throw, considered good enough to represent Puerto Rico at the Olympics, but decided to focus on baseball. His professional career began at age eighteen with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed him to a $10,000 bonus, 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 played 18 seasons for the Pirates, wearing number 21 because his full name had that many letters. He was an All-Star for 13 seasons, selected to 15 All-Star Games, and won the NL batting title in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967. He won 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1961 through 1972, and his batting average was over .300 for 13 seasons. He had 3,000 hits and was a two-time World Series champion. 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). During the offseason, he played winter ball in Puerto Rico and was involved in charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries. On December 31, 1972, he died when his chartered Douglas DC-7 airplane crashed into the water off Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, while delivering relief goods for survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua. He was 38 years old.

Reader's Guide

Roberto Clemente's significance extends beyond his on-field achievements. He was the first Latino and Caribbean player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a milestone that followed a rule change allowing induction within six months of a player's death. His career statistics include 3,000 hits, a .300-plus batting average for 13 seasons, 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and MVP honors in both the National League and the World Series. Clemente's death while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua cemented his legacy as a humanitarian. The Pittsburgh Pirates retired his uniform number 21, and MLB renamed the Commissioner's Award the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best exemplifies baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and contribution to his team. His career also highlights the challenges faced by Latino players in the 1950s, including language and climate differences, and the impact of the bonus rule on player movement. Clemente's life and death brought attention to the contributions of Caribbean and Latin American players to Major League Baseball.

Did You Know?

• Clemente was a track and field star in high school, competing in the high jump and javelin throw, and was considered good enough to represent Puerto Rico at the Olympics.
• He 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).
• After his death, the National Baseball Hall of Fame changed its rules so that a player who had been dead for at least six months would be eligible for entry.
• Clemente wore number 21 because his full name, Roberto Clemente Walker, had 21 letters.

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