WELCOME TO A DEDICATIONAL PAGE ON THE GREAT ONE! ROBERTO CLEMENTE! ---THANK YOU FOR VISITING TODAY! GOD BLESS!








"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don`t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" --Roberto Clemente



Retire Clemente's No. 21 EL DIARIO/LA PRENSA EDITORIAL - 10/24/2006 A movement is growing to retire the number of the late baseball legend Roberto Clemente Walker – a gesture that would recognize his pioneering contributions to baseball and to society. Born in Puerto Rico in 1934, Clemente joined the Pittsburg Pirates in 1955 and played his entire 18-year career with them. As a right fielder, Clemente's defensive skills were unmatched and landed him 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. As a batter, Clemente amassed 3,000 hits. He was the National League Batting Champion four times, and was the league's Most Valuable Player in 1966. He led his Pirates to two World Series wins –1960 and 1971 -- and was the series MVP in 1971. A black Puerto Rican, Clemente was fiercely proud of his heritage and championed racial tolerance and cultural respect at a time when Puerto Ricans of any color were routinely discriminated against and under-represented on the American stage. He was also passionate about helping the broader society. On Dec. 31, 1972, Clemente boarded a plane to take supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. The plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico and Clemente's body was never found. He was only 38 years old and left behind his wife and three young sons. Only days after the tragedy, the Baseball Hall of Fame waived a waiting rule for eligibility. A special election made Clemente its first Latino member. African American great Jackie Robinson is the only player whose number has been retired. Some people believe this honor should remain uniquely his and reflect his breaking down of racial barriers. Only another titan would deserve that same honor. Clemente also transcended and transformed baseball. Retiring his number would add more power to the tribute. A petition to retire Clemente's number is available at www.retire21.org.



Updated: Dec. 30, 2005, 8:13 PM ET
Roberto Clemente`s son to re-enact father`s fateful trip to deliver aid to Nicaragua
Associated Press Major League Baseball News Wire

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The son of Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente will head to Nicaragua on Saturday to distribute humanitarian aid -- mirroring a trip that claimed the life of his father 33 years ago.

Clemente, a 12-time All-Star who had 3,000 hits for the Pittsburgh Pirates, died in 1972 at age 38 in a plane crash on New Year`s Eve. The Puerto Rican native was taking relief supplies to victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake.

Roberto Clemente Jr. will take the same amount of food, medicine and other items that his father carried during the original trip.

"It`s been 18 months that I had a spiritual awakening in which I communicated with dad. It was the first time that I really cried for dad ... and it was then that I understood I had to make this trip to obtain spiritual peace," he told The Associated Press.

Clemente Jr. was 6 when his father was killed. He said he had a premonition of his father`s crash and pleaded with him not to go.

"For me, definitely, it`s a trip full of emotions," he said. "For many years I was filled with a feeling of guilt for not stopping what happened and this closes a chapter in my life."

Major League Baseball hands out the annual "Roberto Clemente Award" to a player who "demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others," according to the MLB Web site.

Clemente Jr. said his vision was to send help one time a year to a country in need to honor his father`s memory. He planned to make the Nicaragua trip last year but decided to send aid to victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami in Thailand.

Vera Clemente said the only thing that worried her about her son`s trip was the date.

What happened 33 years ago, "for me is if it was yesterday," she said. "I have faith in God that all is going to go well for him."




ROBERTO CLEMENTE WALKER
PITTSBURGH N.L. 1955-1972
MEMBER OF EXCLUSIVE 3,000-HIT CLUB.
LED NATIONAL LEAGUE IN BATTING FOUR TIMES.
HAD FOUR SEASONS WITH 200 OR MORE HITS WHILE
POSTING LIFETIME .317 AVERAGE AND 240 HOME RUNS.
WON MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD 1966.
RIFLE-ARMED DEFENSIVE STAR SET N.L. MARK BY
PACING OUTFIELDERS IN ASSISTS FIVE YEARS.
BATTED .362 IN TWO WORLD SERIES,
HITTING IN ALL 14 GAMES.



National Hall of Fame Induction Information
Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1973, Player
393 votes on 424 ballots 92.69%
Hall of Fame plaque for Roberto Clemente

Born: August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico
Died: December 31, 1972, in San Juan, Puerto Rico

ML Debut: 4/17/1955
Primary Position: Right Fielder
Bats: R Throws: R Primary Uniform #: 21

Played For: Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972)
Primary Team: Pittsburgh Pirates


Post-Season: 1960 World Series, 1970 NLCS, 1971 NLCS, 1971 World Series, 1972 NLCS
Awards: All-Star (12): 1960-67, 1969-72; National League MVP 1966; Gold Glove (12): 1961-1972; 1971 World Series MVP
Hitting



Bio
Roberto Clemente Walker`s pride and humanitarianism won him universal admiration. Despite an unorthodox batting style, the Pirates` great won four batting crowns and amassed 3,000 hits. He was equally brilliant in right field, where he displayed a precise and powerful arm. Clemente earned National League MVP honors in 1966, but achieved his greatest fame in the 1971 World Series, when he batted .414. Tragically, Clemente`s life ended at age 38 - the victim of a plane crash while flying relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.


Quote
"Some right fielders have rifles for arms, but he had a howitzer." Tim McCarver

Did You Know... that Roberto Clemente earned 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his excellence in the outfield?

Hall of Fame Teammate: Willie Stargell




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 posthumously 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, the youngest of seven 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. He finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits, the last one coming on what would turn out to be the last at-bat of his career on September 30, 1972 off Jon Matlack. He was the 11th player in history to reach this number. He also had one of the most powerful throwing arms of any outfielder in baseball history, which contributed to him winning 12 Gold Glove Awards for his outstanding defense. Perhaps Clemente`s greatest feat was leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a seven-game World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles in 1971. He compiled a lifetime batting average of .317 and batted .300 or better 13 times, hitting 240 home runs.



A hero in his native Puerto Rico, Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work. He died in a plane crash off the coast of Carolina on December 31, 1972 while en 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, named an avenue after him and realized his dream of establishing a sports complex where the youth could learn and practice sports in a healthy environment. Today this sports complex is called "Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente" (Roberto Clemente Sports City). There is also a monument in his likeness created by Puerto Rican sculptor Jose Buscaglia Guillermety situated in Carolina. In Pittsburgh a bridge was named after him and the Pirates retired his number 21. Meanwhile, MLB presents the Roberto Clemente Award every year to the player who best follows Clemente`s example with humanitarian work. Clemente was also posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Several schools in the United States were named after Clemente. The right field wall at the Pirates` PNC Park is 21 feet high in honor of Clemente. And on October 26th, 2005, Clemente was named a member of Major League Baseball`s Latino Legends Team

The Latino Legends Team was introduced prior to Game Four of the 2005 World Series. The team was selected through ballotting on MLB.com. Selected were:


Ivan Rodrmguez, catcher, Puerto Rico
Albert Pujols, first base, Dominican Republic
Rod Carew, second base, Panama
Edgar Martinez, third base, Puerto Rico
Alex Rodriguez, shortstop, Dominican Republic
Roberto Clemente, outfield, Puerto Rico
Manny Rammrez, outfield, Dominican Republic
Vladimir Guerrero, outfield, Dominican Republic
Pedro Martmnez, starting pitcher, Dominican Republic
Juan Marichal, starting pitcher, Dominican Republic
Fernando Valenzuela, starting pitcher, Mexico
Mariano Rivera, relief pitcher, Panama.

Actor Edward James Olmos presented the team.













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. 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.

New Year`s Eve, December 31, 1997 marked the 25th Anniversary of 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.

December 31, 2002 marked the 30th Anniversary since 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.



He is rightfully Pittsburgh`s pride and joy. The fans laugh at his antics, ooh-and-ah at his spectacular plays, roar in anticipation of his performance, and in general love the man. In my recollection there has never been any concerted booing of Clemente at Forbes Field, a remarkable tribute from fans not always noted for their generosity toward their heroes. Long ago they began delighting in this finely-honed, slightly structured man whose strength and skill are evident in the results rather in his appearance. And they have never stopped.


That play Clemente made in the eighth inning is why he is the greatest player in the game today. Next week in the championship playoffs and the following week in the World Series, every player will make that play. They`ll be diving for balls. But Roberto Clemente was the only player in the game who would make that play in a meaningless game the last week of the season. That`s why he is the greatest player in the game.


And nobody quite combines a running catch, a whirl and a throw the way Clemente does--so that he is occasionally photographed suspended sideways in the air, about four feet above the ground, releasing a lightning bolt.


Known as a bad ball hitter, he almost never goes after the first pitch because he doesn`t want to end his time at bat too soon. His hitting philosophy is to go after any pitch anywhere that looks sweet and challenging at the moment.


In an interview conducted shortly after the 1972 season ended, Clemente said, "I am convinced that God wanted me to be a baseball player. I was born to play baseball."