Roberto Clemente facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roberto Clemente |
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Clemente in 1965
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: August 18, 1934 Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico |
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| Died: December 31, 1972 (aged 38) Isla Verde, Carolina, Puerto Rico |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 1955, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1972, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB 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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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1973 | ||
| Vote | 92.7% (first ballot) | ||
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a famous Puerto Rican professional baseball player. He played as a right fielder for 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After he passed away, he was chosen for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. He was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to receive this honor.
Contents
- Roberto Clemente's Early Life
- Playing Baseball in Puerto Rico (1952–1954)
- Minor League Baseball (1954)
- Major League Baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1969)
- Serving in the Army
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 1970s
- Reaching 3,000 Career Hits
- Helping Others and His Passing
- Roberto's Family Life
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Roberto Clemente's Awards and Achievements
- Other Honors and Recognitions
- Interesting Facts About Roberto Clemente
- Roberto Clemente's Famous Quotes
- See Also
Roberto Clemente's Early Life
Roberto was born in a place called Barrio San Antón, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. His parents were Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker. He was the youngest of seven children. When Roberto was a kid, his dad worked with sugar cane crops. Roberto and his brothers often helped their father in the fields.
As a young person, Roberto was very good at track and field. He even hoped to go to the Olympics! But then he decided to focus on baseball. He loved baseball from a young age and often played against other neighborhoods.
He went to Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado High School. In his first year, he was asked to play softball for the Sello Rojo team. He played as a shortstop for two years. When he was 16, Roberto joined Puerto Rico's amateur baseball league. He played for the Ferdinand Juncos team.
Playing Baseball in Puerto Rico (1952–1954)
Roberto's professional baseball journey started when he was 18. He signed a contract with the Cangrejeros de Santurce ("Crabbers") on October 9, 1952. This was a winter league team in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.
He was a bench player in his first season. But the next season, he became a starting player for the Crabbers. He had a batting average of .288 that year. While playing in Puerto Rico, the Brooklyn Dodgers offered him a contract.
Minor League Baseball (1954)
Roberto signed with the Dodgers on February 19, 1954. He then moved to Montreal to play for the Royals. Some of his teammates, like Chico Fernandez and Tommy Lasorda, helped him because they spoke both English and Spanish.
A scout from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clyde Sukeforth, came to watch another player. But he saw Roberto practicing and was amazed by his throwing and batting skills. Because of this, the Pirates chose Roberto first in the special Rule 5 draft on November 22, 1954.
Major League Baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1969)
Roberto Clemente played his first game with the Pirates on April 17, 1955. For almost his entire career, he wore the number 21. He chose this number because his full name, Roberto Clemente Walker, has 21 letters. At first, he wore number 13, but then he got number 21.
Early in his career, Roberto faced challenges because he was a Latin American player. His first language was Spanish, and he was also of African descent. But Roberto always said, "I don't believe in color." He believed everyone was equal.
The Pirates had hired their first African-American player, Curt Roberts, the year before Roberto joined. Curt became Roberto's friend and helped him get used to playing in the major leagues and living in Pittsburgh.
Roberto had to miss some games because of a back injury. He finished his first season with a .255 batting average. Even then, his amazing defensive skills were clear.
Roberto was chosen as an All-Star every season in the 1960s. He only hit below .300 in 1968. He won a Gold Glove Award for his excellent fielding in his last 12 seasons, starting in 1961.
He won the National League batting title four times: in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967. He also won the league's MVP Award in 1966. In 1967, many baseball managers said Roberto was "the best player in baseball today."
Some sportswriters tried to call him "Bob" or "Bobby" to make him sound more American. Even his baseball cards used "Bob Clemente." But he didn't like this and asked them to stop.
During the off-seasons, Roberto often played professional baseball in Puerto Rico. He played for the Santurce Crabbers, Criollos de Caguas, and San Juan Senadores. He was a big star there and sometimes even managed the San Juan team.
Serving in the Army
In September 1958, Roberto joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He served for six months in places like Parris Island, South Carolina, and Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.
The tough Marine Corps training helped Roberto get stronger. He gained ten pounds and said his back problems, which came from a car accident in 1954, went away. He was a Private First Class in the Marine Corps Reserve until September 1964.
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1970s
The 1970 season was the last time the Pirates played at Forbes Field. Moving to Three Rivers Stadium was emotional for Roberto. The last game at Forbes Field was on June 28, 1970. Roberto said it was hard to play in a new field because he had spent "half my life there."
On July 24, 1970, it was "Roberto Clemente Night." Many fans from Puerto Rico came to cheer for him. He received a scroll with 300,000 signatures from Puerto Rico. Money was also donated to charity because Roberto asked for it.
In 1970, Roberto had a .352 batting average. The Pirates won their division but lost to the Cincinnati Reds. After the season, Roberto faced some challenges. His father had medical problems and needed surgery.
After the 1971 season, Roberto received the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
Reaching 3,000 Career Hits
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| Roberto Clemente's number 21 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1973. |
In the 1972 season, Roberto played in 102 games and hit .312. He was also chosen for the National League All-Star team for the twelfth time. He won his twelfth straight Gold Glove Award.
On September 30, he hit a double against the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium. This was his 3,000th hit in his career! It was also his very last regular season at-bat.
His final game was on October 11, 1972, in Cincinnati. It was the last game of the 1972 NLCS. Roberto and Bill Mazeroski were the only players left from the 1960 World Series championship team.
Helping Others and His Passing
Roberto spent a lot of his time helping others during the off-season. On December 23, 1972, a huge earthquake hit Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Roberto had visited Managua just three weeks before. He quickly organized flights to send help and supplies.
He decided to go with one of the relief flights. On December 31, 1972, the airplane with Roberto on board crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. This happened right after takeoff from Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, because of engine trouble.
People immediately started searching for him. Only an empty flight case that belonged to Roberto was found. His body was never recovered.
When he passed away, Roberto had set many records with the Pirates. He won 12 Gold Glove Awards, sharing the record for outfielders with Willie Mays.
Roberto's Family Life
Roberto married Vera Zabala on November 14, 1964. They got married at San Fernando Church in Carolina. They had three sons: Roberto Jr., born in 1965, Luis Roberto, born in 1966, and Roberto Enrique, born in 1969. Vera Clemente passed away on November 16, 2019.
Roberto was a very religious Catholic.
He also served in the United States Marine Corps during his off-seasons from 1958 to 1964. He was honored in the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Baseball Hall of Fame
On March 20, 1973, the Baseball Writers' Association of America held a special election. Because of how Roberto passed away, they decided to let him be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame without waiting the usual time. He was chosen with 393 out of 420 votes, which is 92.7%.
Roberto's Hall of Fame plaque first had his name as "Roberto Walker Clemente." But in Spanish, the correct way is "Roberto Clemente Walker." So, the plaque was remade in 2000 to fix this. Both plaques are now on display at the Hall of Fame.
Roberto Clemente's Awards and Achievements
Awards He Won
- National League MVP Award (1966)
- NL Player of the Month Award (May 1960, May 1967, July 1969)
- World Series MVP Award (1971)
- National League Gold Glove Award (1961–1972)
- Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award (2006)
What He Achieved
- National League All-Star (1960–1967, 1969–1972)
- National League leader in batting average (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967)
- National League leader in hits (1964, 1967)
- National League leader in triples (1969)
- National League leader in putouts as right fielder (1958, 1961, 1966)
- National League leader in fielding average as right fielder and outfielder (1972)
Other Honors and Recognitions
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After Roberto passed away, he received many honors. Many schools, streets, bridges, parks, and sports places are named after him. Roberto has more statues and monuments dedicated to him than almost any other athlete in the world.
In 2012, the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League was renamed the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League. His number 21 was also permanently retired. He has been inducted into several Hall of Fames for his playing and for his humanitarian work.
The government of Puerto Rico sees Roberto as a national hero. He has received special medals from the federal government of the United States, like the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. There was even an effort in the 2010s to have him recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
In 2022, to honor 50 years since his passing, MLB announced September 15 as "Roberto Clemente Day."
The Roberto Clemente Award
Since 1971, MLB has given out the Roberto Clemente Award. This award goes to a player who is great at baseball and also does a lot of good work in their community. The winner gets a trophy and money to donate to a charity of their choice.
Interesting Facts About Roberto Clemente
- To induct Roberto Clemente into the Hall of Fame, they changed the rules. This was because he passed away young but had such an amazing career.
- Clemente was an All-Star for 13 seasons, playing in 15 All-Star Games.
- On July 25, 1956, Roberto hit the only walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in professional baseball history. This happened in a game where Pittsburgh won 9–8 against the Chicago Cubs.
- He was the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1966. He was also the NL batting leader in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967. He won a Gold Glove Award for 12 years in a row, from 1961 to 1972.
- His batting average was over .300 for 13 seasons. He had 3,000 hits in his major league career.
- He was also 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 player (1960). He was also the first to win an NL MVP Award (1966) and a World Series MVP Award (1971).
- Roberto was very involved in charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries. He often brought baseball equipment and food to people who needed it.
- MLB renamed its annual Commissioner's Award in his honor. It is now called the Roberto Clemente Award. It is given to the player who "best shows the spirit of baseball, good sportsmanship, community involvement, and helps their team."
- After he passed away, the Pirates retired his uniform number 21.
Roberto Clemente's Famous Quotes
- "A country without idols is nothing."
- "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth."
- "I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give."
- "I think all human beings are equal, but one has to unceasingly fight hard to maintain that equality."
- "When I was a boy, I realized what lovely people my mother and father were. I was treated real good. I learned the right way to live."
See Also
In Spanish: Roberto Clemente para niños
