Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 - December 31, 1972) was a Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973, being the first Hispanic American to be selected, and the only exception to the mandatory five-year post-retirement waiting period since it was instituted in 1954.
Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the youngest of four children. He played 18 seasons in the majors from 1955 to 1972, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the NL MVP Award in 1966.
Clemente was a 4-time NL batting champion, finishing in the top ten in batting average thirteen times. Clemente finished his career with exactly 3000 career hits. He also had one of the most powerful throwing arms of any outfielder in baseball history, which contributed to him winning 11 Gold Gloves for his outstanding defense.
A hero in his native Puerto Rico, Clemente spent much of his time during the offseason involved in charity work. He died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 while in route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Puerto Rico has honored Roberto Clemente's memory by naming the coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico Coliseo Roberto Clemente. His native city, Carolina, has a sports complex called the "City of Roberto Clemente" (Ciudad Roberto Clemente). In Pittsburgh a bridge was named after him and the Pirates retired his number 21. Meanwhile, MLB presents the Roberto Clemente Trophy every year to the player who best follows Clemente's example with humanitarian work. Roberto Clemente was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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