Roberto Clemente (placeholder)
Roberto Walker Clemente was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico, August 18, 1934. The youngest of four children, Roberto excelled in track and field, winning medals in the javelin throw and short distance races. However, his real love was baseball. He played amateur baseball with Juncos Double A Club and soon went on to play with the Santurce Crabbers in the Puerto Rican Winter League. From Santurce he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was assigned to play for their top affiliate, the Montreal Royals.
In 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates obtained Roberto with the # 1 pick of the draft, which was awarded to the Pirates. Clemente joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, where he played his entire eighteen year Major League Baseball career from 1955 to 1972. Roberto played in two World Series, batting .310 in 1960 and .414 in 1971, hitting safely in all 14 games. He was the National League Batting Champion four times, was awarded twelve Gold Gloves, selected National League MVP in 1966 and was chosen as the MVP in the 1971 World Series. On November 14, 1964, he married Vera Cristina Zabala in Carolina, Puerto Rico. They had three sons: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique. Proud of his heritage Roberto insisted that Vera give birth to all three sons in Puerto Rico. The boys were six, five and two, respectively, when their father met his untimely death.Roberto died December 31, 1972, in a tragic plane crash. The plane was taking medical, food and clothing supplies to earthquake stricken Nicaragua. Vera and friends begged him not to take the trip (poor weather and an unstable cargo plane) but Roberto was determined. He was infuriated that the previous supplies had not made it to the victims. Roberto was going to personally see to it that the victims received the much needed supplies. Unfortunately, the plane went down off the coast of Puerto Rico. Roberto’s body was never found. Just months after Roberto joined an elite group of players with 3,000 hits, he was gone. Roberto was the first Puerto Rican player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the only player whose five year waiting period was waived.
December 31, 2005 will mark the 33rd Anniversary of his unforunate death and still today Roberto is remembered as one of the greatest athletes and humanitarians of all time. One of Roberto’s dreams, the Roberto Clemente Sports City, is one part of the legacy he left behind. Visitors to Carolina, Puerto Rico are greeted by a twelve foot statue as they enter into a 304 acre sports complex. Roberto Clemente’s legacy is continued by his wife Vera, Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique, who have been instrumental in continuing Roberto’s Dream.
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