ROBERTO CLEMENTE
Name: Roberto Clemente
Born: 18 August 1934
Died: 31 December 1972
Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 - December 31, 1972) was a professional
baseball player and a former Major League Baseball right fielder. Clemente was
born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. 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. He began his
professional career playing with the Santurce Crabbers in the Puerto Rican
Professional Baseball League (LBBPR). While he was playing in Puerto Rico, the
Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a contract to play with the Montreal Royals.
Clemente accepted the offer and was active with the team until he was drafted by
the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball draft that took place on
November 22, 1954.
Clemente played eighteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1972, all
with Pittsburgh. He was awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award
in 1966. During the course of his career, Clemente was selected to participate
in the league's All Star Game on twelve occasions. He won twelve Gold Glove
Awards and led the league in batting average four different seasons. He was
involved in charity work both in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries,
often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. He died in an aviation
accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake
victims in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. He was elected to the Hall
of Fame posthumously in 1973, thus becoming the first Latin American to be
selected and the only current Hall of Famer whose mandatory five year waiting
period was waived since it was instituted in 1954.
Name: Roberto Clemente
Born: 18 August 1934
Died: 31 December 1972
Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 - December 31, 1972) was a professional
baseball player and a former Major League Baseball right fielder. Clemente was
born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. 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. He began his
professional career playing with the Santurce Crabbers in the Puerto Rican
Professional Baseball League (LBBPR). While he was playing in Puerto Rico, the
Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a contract to play with the Montreal Royals.
Clemente accepted the offer and was active with the team until he was drafted by
the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball draft that took place on
November 22, 1954.
Clemente played eighteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1972, all
with Pittsburgh. He was awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award
in 1966. During the course of his career, Clemente was selected to participate
in the league's All Star Game on twelve occasions. He won twelve Gold Glove
Awards and led the league in batting average four different seasons. He was
involved in charity work both in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries,
often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. He died in an aviation
accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake
victims in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. He was elected to the Hall
of Fame posthumously in 1973, thus becoming the first Latin American to be
selected and the only current Hall of Famer whose mandatory five year waiting
period was waived since it was instituted in 1954.