Roberto was born in August 18,1934, in Barrio San Anton in Puerto Rico. As a child he grew up very poor. He would play baseball in the streets with his friends almost every day. Roberto was also spectacular at track and field. He won metals in javelin and short distance races. Roberto played amateur baseball for the Juncos Double A Club. He was then assigned to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers' top affiliate, the Montreal Royals. In 1954, the  Pirates got Roberto with the 1st overall pick of the draft.

He finally made his Major league debut April 17,1955. Roberto, the 5'11",175 pound right fielder, soon became well known. In his first season he batted .255 with 5 homeruns and 47RBI’s. Throughout his tremendous career Roberto batted a career .317 average with 240 homeruns and an amazing 3000 hits.

He got over 200 hits in four different seasons and batted over .350 three times. Many people believe that he was the most dominating player during the 60’s. Roberto was 12 Gold Gloves and was a 12 time National League All-Star. In 1966 he was the National League MVP, batting .317 and blasting 29 homeruns and 119 runs batted in. In the 1971 World Series he was awarded the World Series MVP batting .414.

Roberto was the 11th player ever to reach 3,000 hits on the last game of the 1972 season. Later that year on December 31,1972, Nicaragua was hit by an earthquake. Roberto himself went on a relief mission. The plane Roberto was on didn’t make it through, crashing down into the Caribbean Sea.

Roberto’s body was never found. The Pittsburgh Pirates retired his number, 21, in 1973. Today Roberto has a statue of himself and a bridge named after him in Pittsburgh.

Roberto was a great Pittsburgh athlete and one of the best to every play the game.

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