Roberto Clemente facts for kids
| Roberto Clemente | |
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| Right fielder | |
| Born: August 18, 1934 Carolina, Puerto Rico |
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| Died: December 31, 1972 (aged 38) Off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| 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 | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1973 |
| Vote | 92.7% (first ballot) |
Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934–December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican baseball player.
He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 through 1972. Clemente's career was cut short by his death in a plane crash off the coast of his homeland of Puerto Rico. The flight was planned to deliver emergency supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua.
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Early life
Clemente was the first Latin American elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He and Lou Gehrig are the only Hall of Fame members that did not have the five-year waiting period. However, the rules for election were different in Gehrig's day.
Career
He was eligible when he retired in 1939, and the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), which then as now is the main body for electing players, chose to hold a special election specifically to elect him. (This was probably because Gehrig was known to be dying, and the voters wanted to elect him while he was still alive.)
After Clemente's death, the BBWAA made an exception to its five-year waiting period for Clemente. The exception made for Clemente is now a rule—a player who dies while active, or within five years of his retirement, becomes eligible for election six months after his death (provided he has played at least 10 years in Major League Baseball).
Clemente did a lot of charity work, especially in Latin American countries; as noted above, he died on a charity mission to Latin America. Each year the MLB gives the Roberto Clemente Award. This award is for the player who best follows Clemente's example with charity work.
In 1973, Clemente was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the first Presidential Citizens Medal. On August 17, 1984 the United States Postal Service issued a postage stamp honoring Clemente. This was the day before what would have been his 50th birthday.
Personal life
On November 14, 1964, Clemente married Vera Zabala at San Fernando Church in Carolina. The couple had three children: Roberto, Jr., born in 1965, Luis Roberto, born in 1966, and Enrique Roberto, born in 1969. His Major League Debut Was In Pittsburgh Pirates
Images for kids
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Letter from State Senator John M. Walker to U.S. Senator Hugh Scott requesting an early release for Roberto Clemente from the Marine Corps for the 1959 season
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A statue of Clemente outside of PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
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Richard Rossi (center) at screening of his Clemente film at Vogue Theater in San Francisco. Pictured with him are two fans of the film from Nicaragua whose families were saved by Clemente's relief efforts.
