Roberto Clemente Walker

Roberto Clemente Walker-www.clementesclubhouse.com/pages/liths.htm A hero, an athlete, and a family man, Roberto Clemente is also known as the “Great One” to many. He was not only the greatest right-fielder in baseball history but was also the most acknowledged if not the greatest Puerto Rican player ever to play the game of baseball.

He was born August 18, 1934 in a small neighborhood called Barrio San Anton in the city of Carolina, Puerto Rico. Here was where he came to love baseball. He was the youngest of four children and was an exceptional runner, excelling at track and field where he won medals for both the javelin throw and short distance races. In his late teens he played on the Santurce Cangrejeros (Santurce Crabbers). In 1954 he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Clemente started playing for the Dodgers minor league team in Montreal, Canada. In 1955 since Clemente was unprotected by the Dodgers organization he got drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates where his all-star career started.

Roberto Clemente Walker-www.ucspr.com/cangrejeros/cangreje1.htmDuring the 1955 season Roberto Clemente batted .255 with 5 home runes, 47 runs batted in, 2 stolen bases,18 walks, 60 strike outs, .284 on base percentage, and a .382 slugging percentage. In the beginning of the 1956 season, Roberto Clemente started having back spasms. In the 1960 season he won the World Series which was the Pirates' first in 57 years. In the 1966 season he won the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Then he won another World Series in the 1971 season in which he won the National League Babe Ruth Award and the World Series MVP award. He also won 11 straight gold glove awards from the 1961 season to his last season in 1972.

Roberto Clemente Walker-www.thelatinvillage.com/images/RobertoClementeWFlag-copy.jpg''Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth.''- Roberto Clemente

On November 14, 1964 he married Vera Christina Zabala and had three sons: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique. After the 1972 season a tragic misfortune happened on December 31. Roberto died on a humanitarian trip to Nicaragua after the plane he was on crashed. He was on his way to deliver food and money to the people of Nicaragua after an earthquake hit.

The city of Pittsburg has named a bridge after him and has erected a statue. Recently they paid tribute to his number “21” by making it the height of the right field wall. The Pirates also retired his number in honor of how great he was. In Puerto Rico they have built a coliseum in honor of Roberto Clemente called "El Coliseo Roberto Clemente". This building was his dream to build for people to enjoy sports. Major League Baseball also created the Roberto Clemente Award and they award it to anyone who demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to and understanding the value of helping others.

Roberto Clemente Walker-web.pdx.edu/stat/web/usage_200503.htmlyoutube.com

2006 All Star Game Tribute