Roberto Clemente
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Roberto Clemente |
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Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the youngest of four children. As a child, he ran track and threw javelin, but his real love was baseball. He was discovered playing in a pickup game. He then played for the Juncos AA Club team. He quickly moved up the scale and played for the Santurce Crabbers. He was soon discovered by the Brooklyn Dodgers who tried to hide him by only playing him in minor league games, but a Pirates scout found him. |
| Clemente was the number one draft pick. He began to come into the light in his second year hitting .311 and taking his place in right field. Though he stayed with average numbers for his first 5 years in the league, Clemente showed his true potential in 1960. In 1960 the Pirates went to the World Series against the heavily favored Yankees. Clemente hit .310 and helped the Pirates in the miraculous defeat over the Yankees. |
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Suddenly Roberto Clemente was a star. He was one of the heroes of the World Series and began to get attention. He hit .351, the first of five times he would have a batting average over .340. They say when you saw Clemente threw the ball you never forgot it. He had a rifle arm with deadly accuracy and power to spare. Clemente won a Gold Glove Award every year from 1961 to 1972. He won four batting titles and was National League MVP in 1966. He was perhaps the greatest defensive right fielder ever to play. Clemente played with injuries most of his career. Even the, he had the highest batting average in the 1960's. In 1972, he hit his 3,000 hit. He is one of only eleven people to do that in his career. |
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| Despite his success, Clemente never forgot where he came from. He often sent supplies to his hometown. Then there was a terrible earthquake. Clemente got on a plane and flew down to his home with supplies. He would never make it. On December 31, 1972 Roberto Clemente Walker died in a plane crash. He left a wife and three sons. He was 38 years old. |
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| Clemente was elected into the Hall of Fame only eleven months after his death with 93 percent of the ballots. His 3,000 hits and .371 lifetime batting average made Clemente an easy choice. He overcame prejustice in his years as a Pirated. He had outstanding numbers in the World Series and brought two home to Pittsburgh. His abilities and character make him one of the best pirates ever. | |
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