View source for Roberto Clemente

{{short description|Puerto Rican baseball player (1934–1972)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{family name hatnote|Clemente|Walker|lang=Hispanic American}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name =  Roberto Clemente 
| image = Roberto Clemente.jpg
| caption = Clemente with the Pirates in 1957
| position = [[Right fielder]]
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1934|8|18}}
| birth_place = [[San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1972|12|31|1934|8|18}}
| death_place = Off the coast of [[Isla Verde, Puerto Rico]]
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = April 17
| debutyear = 1955
| debutteam = Pittsburgh Pirates
| finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = October 3
| finalyear = 1972
| finalteam = Pittsburgh Pirates
| statleague = MLB 
| stat1label = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value = .317
| stat2label = [[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
| stat2value = 3,000
| stat3label = [[Home run]]s
| stat3value = 240
| stat4label = [[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
| stat4value = 1,305
| teams =
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1955}}–{{mlby|1972}})
| highlights = 
* 15× <!--15 is correct; there were TWO All-Star Games held annually between 1959 and 1962.--> [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1960]]–[[1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1967]], [[1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1969]]–[[1972 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1972]])
* 2× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1960}}, {{wsy|1971}})
* [[NL MVP]] (1966)
* [[World Series MVP]] (1971)
* 12× [[Gold Glove Award]] (1961–1972)
* 4× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|NL batting champion]] (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967)
* [[Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award]]
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates#Retired numbers|Pittsburgh Pirates No. 21]] retired
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates#Pirates Hall of Fame|Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame]]
| hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
| hoftype = National
| hofdate = [[1973 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1973]]
| hofvote = 92.7%
| hofmethod = Special Election
}}

'''Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker'''{{efn|Both a 1955 interview with Orange Clemente and a 1994 interview with his wife Vera confirm that Clemente's full name includes the middle name, Enrique. The discrepancy in spelling – 1994's 'Enrique'  vs. 1955's E-n-r-i-'''''c'''''-q-u-e (as allegedly spelled out for the interviewer by Clemente) – is presumably due to a misunderstanding on the part of the ''Post-Gazette''{{'}}s non-Spanish-speaking interviewer, likely mistaking the word "Si" for the letter c.<ref>{{cite news|author=Abrams, Al |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d5dRAAAAIBAJ&pg=1293%2C4057980 |title=Sidelight on Sports: A Baseball Star is Born |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=June 7, 1955}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=O'Brien, Jim |date=1994 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjpZAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Roberto+Enrique+Clemente%22 |title=Remember Roberto: Clemente Recalled by Teammates, Family, Friends, and Fans |publisher=James P. O'Brien Publishing |page= 54 |isbn=0-916114-14-7}}</ref>}} ({{IPA|es|roˈβeɾto enˈrike kleˈmente (ɣ)walˈkeɾ}}; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional [[baseball]] player who played 18 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], primarily as a [[right fielder]]. On December 31, 1972, [[1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash|Clemente was killed when his Douglas DC-7 airplane]], which he had chartered for a flight to take and deliver emergency relief goods for the survivors of a [[1972 Nicaragua earthquake|massive earthquake]] in [[Nicaragua]], crashed and plunged into the water off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. He was 38 years old. After his death, the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] changed its rules so that a player who had been dead for at least six months would be eligible for entry. In 1973, Clemente was posthumously inducted, becoming the first [[Latin America|Latino]] and [[Caribbean]] player and second of [[Hispanic]] descent (after [[Lefty Gomez]] in 1972) to be honored in the Hall of Fame. He is widely referred to as "'''The Great One'''."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hanlon |first=Luke |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cFrfEAAAQBAJ&dq=roberto+clemente+nickname+%22the+great+one%22&pg=PA17 |title=Roberto Clemente: Baseball Legend |date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=North Star Editions, Inc. |isbn=978-1-63494-845-6 |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mumau |first=Thad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUsjCgAAQBAJ&dq=roberto+clemente+nickname+%22the+great+one%22&pg=PA105 |title="Had 'Em All the Way": The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates |date=July 10, 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9711-9 |pages=105 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mumau |first=Thad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUsjCgAAQBAJ&dq=roberto+clemente+nickname+%22the+great+one%22&pg=PA105 |title="Had 'Em All the Way": The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates |date=July 10, 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9711-9 |language=en}}</ref><!-- Puerto Ricans are American citizens; it is not a Latin American country. -->

Born in [[Carolina, Puerto Rico]], Clemente was a track and field star and an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] hopeful in his youth before deciding to turn his full attention to baseball. His professional career began at the age of eighteen, with the [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]] of the [[Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League]]. He quickly attracted the attention of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] who signed him to a bonus of $10,000 ($120,491.45 in 2025). However, due to the [[bonus rule]] under which Clemente had signed and the Dodgers' decision to send him to the minor leagues, they lost Clemente to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] who drafted him after the 1954 season.

Clemente was an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] for 13 seasons, selected to 15 All-Star Games. He was the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] (MVP) in 1966, the NL [[Batting title|batting leader]] in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967, and a [[Gold Glove Award]] winner for 12 consecutive seasons from 1961 through 1972. His [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] was over .300 for 13 seasons and he had [[3,000 hit club|3,000 hits]] during his major league career. He also was a two-time [[List of World Series champions|World Series champion]]. Clemente was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to win a World Series as a starting position player (1960), to receive an NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP Award]] (1971).

During the offseason, in addition to playing [[Winter league baseball|winter ball]] in Puerto Rico, Clemente was involved in charity work in Latin American and Caribbean countries. In 1972, he died in a [[1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash|plane crash]] at the age of 38 while en route to deliver aid to victims of the [[1972 Nicaragua earthquake|Nicaragua earthquake]]. The following season, the Pittsburgh Pirates retired his uniform number 21. In his honor, MLB renamed the Commissioner's Award, given to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", to the [[Roberto Clemente Award]].

== Early life ==
Clemente was born on August 18, 1934, in Barrio San Antón in [[Carolina, Puerto Rico]], to Luisa Walker and Melchor Clemente. He was the youngest of six  siblings (three were from his mother's previous marriage). During Clemente's childhood, his father worked as a foreman for [[sugar cane]] crops located in the municipality in the northeastern part of the island. Because the family's resources were limited, Clemente and his brothers worked alongside his father in the fields, loading and unloading trucks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/roberto-clemente/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |quote=Roberto Clemente Walker was born on August 18, 1934, to Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker de Clemente in Carolina, which is slightly east of the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan. Roberto was the youngest of Luisa's seven children (three of whom were from a previous marriage).}}</ref>

Clemente had first shown interest in baseball early in life and often played against neighboring [[barrio]]s. When he was fourteen, he was recruited by Roberto Marín to play [[softball]] with the Sello Rojo team after he was seen playing baseball in barrio San Antón. He was with the team two years as a [[shortstop]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/roberto-clemente/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |quote=When he was 14 years old Roberto joined a softball team organized by Roberto Marín, who became very influential in Clemente’s life. Marín noticed Roberto’s strong throwing arm and began using him at shortstop. He eventually moved him to the outfield.}}</ref>

Clemente's interest in baseball grew as he would watch games in Puerto Rico's winter baseball league as a kid. San Juan was a popular destination for [[Barnstorming (sports)|barnstorming]] teams and players who wanted to continue playing in the winter months. Watching the games, Clemente was inspired by [[Monte Irvin]], a right fielder for the [[Negro leagues]]' [[Newark Eagles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The HOFer who inspired a young Clemente |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/roberto-clemente-inspired-by-negro-leaguer-monte-irvin |access-date=March 13, 2025 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref> 

He attended [[Julio Vizcarrondo#Later years and legacy|Julio Vizcarrondo High School]] in Carolina where he was a track and field star, participating in the high jump and javelin throw. Clemente was considered good enough to represent Puerto Rico at the [[Olympics]]. He later stated that throwing the javelin helped in strengthening his arm and with his footwork and release.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/roberto-clemente/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |quote=Throwing the javelin strengthened his arm and helped him in other ways, according to one of his biographers, Bruce Markusen: "The footwork, release, and general dynamics employed in throwing the javelin coincided with the skills needed to throw a baseball properly. The more that Clemente threw the javelin, the better and stronger his throwing from the outfield became."}}</ref> Despite his all-around athletic skill, however, Clemente decided to focus on baseball and went on to join Puerto Rico's amateur league, playing for the Ferdinand Juncos team, which represented the municipality of [[Juncos, Puerto Rico|Juncos]].<ref>[[#Maraniss|Maraniss]], pp. 25-26.</ref>

==Professional career==

===Puerto Rican baseball (1952–1954)===
Clemente's professional career began at age 18 when he accepted a contract from Pedrín Zorrilla with [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]] ("Crabbers"), a winter league team and franchise of the [[Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League]] (LBPPR). Clemente signed with the team on October 9, 1952. He was a bench player during his first season but was promoted to the Cangrejeros' starting lineup the following season. During this season he hit .288 as the team's leadoff hitter.<ref>[[#Maraniss|Maraniss]], pp. 27.</ref>

While Clemente was playing in the Puerto Rican League, the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] offered him a contract of $15,000 — $10,000 bonus and $5,000 league minimum salary. Clemente signed with them on February 19, 1954.<ref>[[#Maraniss|Maraniss]], pp. 36-38.</ref>

===Minor league baseball (1954)===
At the time of Clemente's signing, the [[bonus rule]] implemented by MLB was still in effect. The rule stipulated that when a major league team signed a player to a contract with a signing bonus in excess of $4,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000|1947|r=-3}}}} today), the team was required to keep that player on their 25-man active roster for two full seasons and failure to comply with the rule would result in the team losing the rights to that player's contract, and the player would then be exposed to the waiver wire.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/Bonus_Babies.shtml |title=MLB Bonus Babies |publisher=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref>

As Clemente's bonus was larger than $4,000, he was considered a bonus baby. However, the Dodgers decided against benching him for two years in the majors and decided to place him with the [[Montreal Royals]], their [[International League]] Triple-A affiliate. While it is often believed that the Dodgers instructed manager [[Max Macon]] to use Clemente sparingly to prevent him from being drafted under the [[Rule 5 Draft]], Macon himself denied it. Box scores also suggest that Macon platooned Clemente the same as he did with other outfielders.<ref>{{cite web |title=Max Macon (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/max-macon/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |quote=Brooklyn general manager Buzzie Bavasi later acknowledged that the team hoped to hide Clemente so no other team would see his incandescent talent and draft him — as Pittsburgh did after the season... Researcher Stew Thornley found that Clemente was platooned for much of the season, starting only against left-handed pitchers, just as Macon platooned other outfielders.}}</ref>

Affected early on by both climate and language differences, Clemente received assistance from bilingual teammates such as infielder [[Chico Fernandez]] and pitchers [[Tommy Lasorda]] and [[Joe Black]].{{efn|To what extent Lasorda assisted Clemente is open to debate. Fellow Royals hurler Joe Black categorically denies Lasorda's characterization of Clemente as unable to "speak one word of English": <blockquote>''"I saw him on the field and I said, 'Tommy, why did you tell that story?' He said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'One: Clemente didn't hang out with you. Second: Clemente speaks English.' ... Puerto Rico, you know, is part of the United States. So, over there, youngsters do have the privilege of taking English in classrooms. He wouldn't give a speech like Shakespeare, but he knew how to order breakfast and eggs. He knew how to say, 'it's a good day,' 'let's play,' or 'why I don't play?' He could say, 'Let's go to the movies.'"''<ref>[[#Markusen|Markusen]], pp. 19–20.</ref></blockquote>}}

Black was the original target of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]' scouting trip to [[Parker Field (Richmond)|Richmond]] on June 1, 1954. Noticing Clemente in batting practice, Pirates scout [[Clyde Sukeforth]] made inquiries and soon learned about Clemente's status as an unprotected [[bonus baby]].<ref>[[#Markusen|Markusen]], p. 23.</ref> Twelve years later, manager Macon acknowledged that "we tried to sneak him through the draft, but it didn't work" but denied being instructed to not play Clemente, stating that the player needed time to develop and was struggling against Triple-A pitching.<ref>{{cite web |title=Max Macon (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/max-macon/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |quote=Macon always denied it, but he was not believed... "I never had any orders not to play Clemente," Macon said.}}</ref> However, Pittsburgh noticed his raw talents; as Sukeforth recalled years later, "I knew then he'd be our first draft choice. I told Montreal manager Max Macon to take good care of 'our boy' and see that he didn't get hurt."<ref>{{cite news |author= Biederman, Les |date=July 29, 1956 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/t1rmnke6tg5g1dt |title=Bob Clemente Discovered by Clyde Sukeforth |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |access-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref>

In 87 games with the Royals, Clemente hit .257 with two home runs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente Minor League Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=clemen004rob |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> The first home run of his North American baseball career came on July 25, 1954; Clemente's [[extra inning]], [[walk-off home run]] was hit in his first at-bat after entering the game as a [[defensive replacement]]. His only other minor league home run came on September 5. On his 20th birthday, August 8, he made a notable game-ending outfield [[assist (baseball)|assist]], cutting down the potential tying run at the plate.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/ocuk9gj1hri4et3/.png |title=Clemente's Toss helps Beat Toronto |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]] |date=August 19, 1954}}</ref>

At the end of the season, Clemente returned to play for Santurce where one of his teammates was [[Willie Mays]].<ref>[[#Maraniss|Maraniss]], pp. 54–58.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Monagan |first1=Matt |title=Mays, Clemente in the same outfield? It happened |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/willie-mays-and-roberto-clemente-on-same-team |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |date=December 28, 2023}}</ref> While with the team, the Pirates made Clemente the first selection of the [[Rule 5 draft]] that took place on November 22, 1954.<ref>{{cite news |title=How the Pirates stole Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/62869/how-the-pirates-stole-roberto-clemente-from-the-dodgers |author=Schoenfield, David |work=[[ESPN]] |date=September 16, 2015}}</ref>

===Major League Baseball (1955–1972)===
For all but the first seven weeks of his major league career, Clemente wore number 21, so chosen because his full name of Roberto Clemente Walker had that many letters.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ziants, Steve |url=https://www.questia.com/ynewspaper/1P2-39483987/the-history |title=The History: Back Stories in Time; Things We Thought We Knew (Or Never Thought About) |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=April 3, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> For his first few weeks, Clemente wore the number 13, as his teammate [[Earl Smith (1950s outfielder)|Earl Smith]] was wearing number 21. It was later reassigned to Clemente.<ref name="13 to 21">{{cite news |author=Biederman, Les |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AXsbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3k0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5026%2C2951642&dq=roberto-changed-number |title=The Scoreboard |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |date=May 25, 1955}}</ref>

During the off-seasons (except the 1958–59, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1971–72, and 1972–73 seasons), Clemente played professionally for the [[Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball)|Cangrejeros de Santurce]], [[Criollos de Caguas (baseball)|Criollos de Caguas]], and [[Senadores de San Juan]] in the [[Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente|Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico]], where he was considered a star. He sometimes managed the San Juan team.

[[File:Roberto Clemente marines shot.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Clemente in the [[U.S. Marine Corps Reserve]] in September 1958]]
In September 1958, Clemente joined the [[United States Marine Corps Reserve]]. He served his six-month active duty commitment at [[Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island|Parris Island]], [[South Carolina]], [[Camp LeJeune]] in [[North Carolina]], and Washington, D.C. At Parris Island, Clemente received recruit training with Platoon 346 of the 3rd Recruit Battalion.<ref>[[#Maraniss|Maraniss]], p. 88.</ref> The rigorous Marine Corps training programs helped Clemente physically; he added strength by gaining ten pounds and said his back troubles, caused by being in a 1954 auto accident, disappeared as a result of the training. He was a [[Private First Class|private first class]] in the Marine Corps Reserve until September 1964.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clemente to Start Six-Month Marine Corps Hitch, October 4|newspaper=[[The Sporting News]]|date=September 24, 1958|page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Buc Flyhawk Now Marine Rookie|newspaper=[[The Sporting News]]|date=November 19, 1958|page=13}}</ref><ref name="Marine">{{cite web|title=Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame – Roberto Clemente |url=http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/hof/2003-clemente.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930021256/http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/hof/2003-clemente.cfm |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Clemente would face racism throughout his major league career, particularly from journalists. Former Pirates teammate [[Bill Mazeroski]] wrote that some sports writers, "tried to make him look like an ass by getting him to say controversial things and then they wrote how the Puerto Rican hot dog was popping off again."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jn13 |title=Pirates Reader |date=2003 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctt155jn13 |jstor=j.ctt155jn13 |isbn=978-0-8229-4199-6}}</ref> The language barrier between Clemente and the American journalists created a divide which led Clemente to be distrustful of the media. Mazeroski wrote that, "writers who couldn't speak three words of Spanish tried to make him look silly, but he's an intelligent man who knows people and knows the game."<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jn13 |title=Pirates Reader |date=October 15, 2014 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |isbn=978-0-8229-8059-9 |editor-last=Peterson |editor-first=Richard |doi=10.2307/j.ctt155jn13.51|jstor=j.ctt155jn13 }}</ref> Clemente's disagreements with the media were worsened by his open expression of anger at the continued discrimination in baseball.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rader |first=Benjamin G. |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9 |title=Baseball: A History of America's Game |date=October 30, 2018 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-05079-4 |doi=10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9.17|jstor=10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9 }}</ref> His outspoken nature earned him a reputation for being hot-tempered that followed him through his career.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rader |first=Benjamin G. |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9 |title=Baseball: A History of America's Game |date=October 30, 2018 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-05079-4 |doi=10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9.17|jstor=10.5406/j.ctv9hvrv9 }}</ref> 

====Early years====

The Pirates struggled through several difficult seasons through the 1950s. They did have a winning season in 1958, their first since 1948.

Clemente debuted with the Pirates on April 17, 1955, wearing uniform number 13, in the first game of a doubleheader against the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]. Early in his career with the Pirates, he was frustrated by racial and ethnic tensions, with sniping by the local media and some teammates. Clemente responded to this by saying "I don't believe in color." He said that, during his upbringing, he was taught never to discriminate against someone based on ethnicity.

Clemente was at a double disadvantage, as he was a Latin American and Caribbean player whose first language was Spanish and was of African descent. Clemente's hometown newspaper, the ''San Juan Star'' wrote that, "Clemente is a black Puerto Rican. That makes him doubly dubious. His native tongue is foreign to button-down America, and so is his color."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Briley |first1=Ron |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2tvcq4?turn_away=true |title=Sports and the Racial Divide: African American and Latino Experience in an Era of Change |last2=Ezra |first2=Michael |last3=Fields |first3=Sarah K. |last4=Hawkins |first4=Billy |last5=Iber |first5=Jorge |last6=Kemper |first6=Kurt Edward |last7=Regalado |first7=Samuel O. |last8=Santillan |first8=Richard |last9=Smith |first9=Maureen |date=2008 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-60473-014-2}}</ref> The year before, the Pirates had hired [[Curt Roberts]], their first African-American player. They were the fifth team in the NL and ninth in the major leagues to do so, seven years after [[Jackie Robinson]] broke baseball's color line by joining the Dodgers.<ref name="SportsCentury">''[[SportsCentury]]'': Roberto Clemente</ref> When Clemente arrived in Pittsburgh, Roberts befriended him and helped him adjust to life in the major league, as well as in the Pittsburgh area.<ref name="Bouchette">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tMtRAAAAIBAJ&pg=4054,5029992&dq=curt+roberts|title=Roberts Bucs' forgotten pioneer|last=Bouchette|first=Ed|date=May 15, 1987|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|pages=19, 22|access-date=March 10, 2012}}</ref>

During his rookie season, Clemente had to sit out several games, as he had suffered a lower back injury in Puerto Rico the previous winter. A speeding, drunk driver rammed into his car at an intersection. He finished his rookie season with a .255 batting average, despite trouble hitting certain types of pitches. His defensive skills were highlighted during this season.

[[File:Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1957.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Clemente in 1957]]
The following season, on July 25, 1956, at [[Forbes Field]], Clemente erased a three-run, ninth-inning deficit against the Chicago Cubs with a bases-clearing [[inside-the-park home run]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hernon|first1=Jack|title=Bucs Bounce Back After Losing Lead|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4pVRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6290%2C1323281|access-date=September 26, 2016|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=July 26, 1956}}</ref> off pitcher [[Jim Brosnan]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Espada |first=Martín |date=2015 |title=Clemente's Overzealous Romp: Roberto Clemente and Baseball as Theater |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/24494489 |journal=The Massachusetts Review |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=249–255 |jstor=24494489 |issn=0025-4878}}</ref> thus becoming the first—and, as yet, only—player in modern Major League history (since 1900) to hit a documented walk-off, inside-the-park [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]].<ref>McEntire, Madison (2006). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qCnZVMfGuTsC&pg=PA52&dq=%22clemente+rallied+the+pirates+past+the+cubs%22 Big League Trivia: Facts, Figures, Oddities, and Coincidences from Our National Pastime]''. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. p.&nbsp;52–53. {{ISBN|1-4259-1292-3}}. See also:
* McEntire, op. cit., [https://books.google.com/books?id=qCnZVMfGuTsC&pg=PP11&dq=%22Unless+stated+otherwise%22 p. ix].</ref> While rounding third, Clemente ran through a stop sign from Pirates manager [[Bobby Bragan]], a decision which infuriated Brosnan. In the October 24, 1960, edition of ''Life'' magazine, Brosnan wrote that Clemente's heroics, "excited the fans, startled the manager, shocked me and disgusted my club."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Espada |first=Martín |date=2015 |title=Clemente's Overzealous Romp: Roberto Clemente and Baseball as Theater |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/24494489 |journal=The Massachusetts Review |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=249–255 |jstor=24494489 |issn=0025-4878}}</ref> After the game, Bragan announced that Clemente would not be fined the $25 that was the standard punishment for a player who missed a sign.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Espada |first=Martín |date=2015 |title=Clemente's Overzealous Romp: Roberto Clemente and Baseball as Theater |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/24494489 |journal=The Massachusetts Review |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=249–255 |jstor=24494489 |issn=0025-4878}}</ref> Pittsburgh-based sportswriter [[John Steigerwald]] said that a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam, "''may'' have been done only once in the history of baseball."<ref name=RCUHRbyJS>{{cite news |author=Steigerwald, John |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/33551801/ |title=This Was Clemente's Grandest Slam |newspaper=[[Indiana Gazette]] |date=July 23, 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2015 |quote=On July 25, 1956, Roberto Clemente did something that may have been done only once in the history of baseball. And I was there to see it}}</ref>

Clemente was still fulfilling his Marine Corps Reserve duty during spring of 1959 and set to be released from [[Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune|Camp Lejeune]] until April 4. A Pennsylvania state senator, [[John M. Walker (Pennsylvania politician)|John M. Walker]], wrote to US Senator [[Hugh Scott]] requesting an early release on March 4 so Clemente could join the team for spring training.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2014/07/17/roberto-clemente-a-legacy-beyond-baseball/|title=Roberto Clemente, A Legacy Beyond Baseball|date=July 17, 2014|work=Pieces of History|access-date=October 11, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

====Stardom====
Early in the 1960 season, Clemente led the league with a .353 batting average, and the 14 [[extra-base hit]]s and 25 [[Run batted in|RBIs]] recorded in May alone resulted in Clemente's selection as the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month|Player of the Month]].<ref>{{cite news |agency=United Press International |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kzAgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I08EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5148%2C1037333 |title=Clemente NL's 'Best in May': Roberto Solid Choice for Award |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |date=June 4, 1960}}</ref> His batting average would remain above the .300 mark throughout the course of the campaign. On August 5 at [[Forbes Field]], Clemente crashed into the right-field wall while making a pivotal play, depriving [[San Francisco Giants|San Francisco]]'s [[Willie Mays]] of a [[Leadoff batter|leadoff]], extra-base hit in a game eventually won by Pittsburgh, 1–0. The resulting injury necessitated five stitches to the chin and a five-game layoff for Clemente, while the catch itself was described by Giants beat writer [[Bob Stevens (sportswriter)|Bob Stevens]] as "rank[ing] with the greatest of all time, as well as one of the most frightening to watch and painful to make."<ref>{{cite news |author=Stevens, Bob |title=Spectacular Game: Virdon Circles Bases on Error |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=August 6, 1960}}</ref> The Pirates compiled a 95–59 record during the regular season, winning the NL pennant, and defeated the [[New York Yankees]] in a seven-game [[1960 World Series|World Series]]. Clemente batted .310 in the series, hitting safely at least once in every game.<ref name=AP:CBBB>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1973/01/02/page/53/article/clemente-baseballs-big-bargain |title=Clemente: Baseball's Biggest Bargain |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=January 2, 1973}}</ref> His .314 batting average, 16 home runs, and defensive playing during the course of the season had earned him his first spot on the NL [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] roster as a reserve player, and he replaced [[Hank Aaron]] in right field during the 7th and 8th innings in the second All-Star game held that season (two All-Star games were held each season from 1959 through 1962).<ref name=clemente-stats>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

During spring training in 1961, following advice from Pirates' batting coach [[George Sisler]], Clemente tried to modify his batting technique by using a heavier bat to slow the speed of his swing. During the 1961 season, Clemente was named the starting NL right fielder for the first of two All-Star games and went 2 for 4; he hit a triple on his first at-bat and scored the team's first run, then drove in the second with a [[sacrifice fly]]. With the AL ahead 4–3 in the 10th inning, he teamed with fellow future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame|HOFers]] [[Hank Aaron]], [[Willie Mays]], and [[Frank Robinson]] to engineer a come-from-behind 5–4 NL victory, culminating in Clemente's [[walk-off home run|walk-off]] single off [[knuckleball]]er [[Hoyt Wilhelm]]. Clemente started again in right field for the second All-Star game held that season and was 0 for 2, flying and grounding out in the 2nd and 4th innings. That season he received his first [[Gold Glove Award]].<ref name=clemente-stats/>

[[File:1962 Baseball Guide.p21.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Clemente in 1962]]
Following the 1961 season, he traveled to Puerto Rico along with [[Orlando Cepeda]], who was a native of [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]]. When both players arrived, they were received by 18,000 people. During this time, he was also involved in managing the [[Senadores de San Juan]] of the Puerto Rican League, as well as playing with the team during the major league off-season. During the course of the winter league, Clemente injured his thigh while doing some work at home but wanted to participate in the league's all-star game. He pinch-hit in the game and got a single, but experienced a complication of his injury as a result, and had to undergo surgery shortly after being carried off the playing field. This condition limited his role with the Pirates in the first half of the 1965 season, during which he batted .257. Although he was inactive for many games, when he returned to the regular starting lineup, he got hits in 33 out of 34 games and his batting average climbed up to .340.<ref name=clemente-stats/> He participated as a pinch hitter and replaced [[Willie Stargell]] playing left field during the All-Star Game on July 15.

Clemente was an All-Star every season he played in the 1960s other than 1968—the only year in his career after 1959 in which he failed to hit above .300—and a Gold Glove winner for each of his final 12 seasons, beginning in 1961. He won the NL [[batting title]] four times: 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967, and won the league's [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP Award]] in 1966, hitting .317 with a career-high 29 home runs and 119 RBIs. In 1967, Clemente registered a career-high .357 batting average, hit 23 home runs, and batted in 110 runs. Following that season, in an informal poll conducted by [[Sport (US magazine)|''Sport Magazine'']] at baseball's [[Winter Meetings]], a plurality of major league [[General manager (baseball)|GMs]] declared Clemente "the best player in baseball today," edging out AL [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] winner [[Carl Yastrzemski]] by a margin of 8 to 6, with one vote each going to [[Hank Aaron]], [[Bob Gibson]], [[Bill Freehan]] and [[Ron Santo]].<ref>[[#Markusen|Markusen]], p. 171.</ref> He had the most hits for all players in the 1960s with 1,877.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://stathead.com/tiny/CoUq4 |title=For combined seasons, from 1960 to 1969, in the regular season, sorted by descending Hits. |accessdate=July 15, 2025|website=[[Sports Reference|Stathead]]}}</ref>

[[File:Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1966.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Clemente in 1966]]
In an effort to make him seem more American, sportswriters started calling him "Bob" or "Bobby". His baseball cards even listed him as "Bob Clemente", a practice that persisted through to 1969. He disliked the practice, which he felt was disrespectful to his Puerto Rican and Latino heritage. Clemente would correct reporters who referred to him as "Bob" during post-game interviews, but the issue continued throughout the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/baseball-history/clemente-overcame-societal-barriers-en-route-to-superstardom |title=Clemente overcame societal barriers en route to superstardom |author=Markusen, Bruce |publisher=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref>

====Final seasons====
The 1970 season was the last one that the Pirates played at [[Forbes Field]] before moving to [[Three Rivers Stadium]]; for Clemente, abandoning this stadium was an emotional situation. The Pirates' final game at Forbes Field occurred on June 28, 1970. That day, Clemente said that it was hard to play in a different field, saying, "I spent half my life there." The night of July 24, 1970, was declared "Roberto Clemente Night"; on this day, several Puerto Rican fans traveled to Three Rivers Stadium and cheered Clemente while wearing traditional Puerto Rican attire. A ceremony to honor Clemente took place, during which he received a scroll with 300,000 signatures compiled in Puerto Rico, and several thousands of dollars were donated to charity work following Clemente's request.

During the 1970 season, Clemente compiled a .352 batting average; the Pirates won the [[National League East|NL East]] pennant but were subsequently eliminated by the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. During the offseason, Roberto Clemente experienced some tense situations while he was working as manager of the Senadores and when his father, Melchor Clemente, experienced medical problems and underwent surgery.

In the 1971 season, the Pirates won the NL East, defeated the [[San Francisco Giants]] in four games to win the NL pennant, and faced the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in the [[1971 World Series|World Series]]. Baltimore had won 101 games (third season in row with 100+ wins) and swept the [[1971 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]], both for the third consecutive year, and were the defending World Series champions. The Orioles won the first two games in the series, but Pittsburgh won the championship in seven games. This marked the second occasion that Clemente helped win a World Series for the Pirates. Over the course of the series, Clemente had a .414 batting average (12 hits in 29 [[at bat|at-bats]]), performed well defensively, and hit a solo home run in the deciding 2–1 seventh game victory.<ref name="ESPN 2"/> Following the conclusion of the season, he received the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref name=clemente-stats/>

[[File:Roberto Clemente 1972 pirates.png|thumb|upright=0.75|Clemente in 1972]]
Although he was frustrated and struggling with injuries,<ref name=srvankl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m9kvAAAAIBAJ&pg=7459%2C5122874 |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |agency=Associated Press |title=Ankles keeping Clemente down |date=August 15, 1972 |page=15}}</ref> Clemente played in 102 games and hit .312 during the [[1972 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1972 season]].<ref name="ESPN 2"/> He also made the annual NL All-Star roster for the fifteenth (15th) time (he played in 14/15 All-Star games)<ref name="pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com">Official Pittsburgh Pirates Site, Roberto Clemente – #21, "12-time All-Star" [http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/retired_numbers.jsp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201050352/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/retired_numbers.jsp|date=February 1, 2013}} Retrieved September 20, 2015</ref> and won his twelfth consecutive Gold Glove.

On September&nbsp;30, he hit a [[double (baseball)|double]] in the fourth inning off [[Jon Matlack]] of the [[1972 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] at Three Rivers Stadium for his 3,000th.<ref name=bbsmzk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rXcqAAAAIBAJ&pg=4436%2C402538 |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |last=Smizik |first=Bob |title=Roberto gets 3,000th, will rest until playoffs |date=October 1, 1972 |page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/community/clemente.jsp|title=Roberto Clemente Award|publisher=Major League Baseball|access-date=December 9, 2007}}</ref> It was his last regular season at-bat of his career. By playing in right field in one more regular season game, on October 3, Clemente tied [[Honus Wagner]]'s record for games played as a Pittsburgh Pirate, with 2,433 games played. In the NL playoffs that season, he batted .235 as he went 4 for 17. His last game was October 11, 1972, at Cincinnati's [[Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati)|Riverfront Stadium]] in the fifth and final game of the [[1972 National League Championship Series|1972 NLCS]], won by the Reds in the bottom of the 9th inning. Clemente had his final hit (single) in the 1st inning; his final plate appearance was an intentional walk in the 8th inning.<ref name="ESPN 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Clemente_Roberto.html|title=Clemente quietly grew in stature|author=Larry Schwartz|publisher=ESPN|access-date=December 9, 2007}}</ref> He and [[Bill Mazeroski]] were the last Pirate players remaining from the 1960 World Series championship team.

== Charity work and death ==
{{Further|1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash}}
Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work. One of the projects he was most invested in was creating a sports center for disadvantaged youth in Puerto Rico. In 1967, Clemente told reporters, "The biggest thing I want to do is for the youths... for the kids. When I am ready to quit baseball I will have my sports center... to me it will be the most important thing in the world."<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Briley |first1=Ron |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2tvcq4?turn_away=true |title=Sports and the Racial Divide: African American and Latino Experience in an Era of Change |last2=Ezra |first2=Michael |last3=Fields |first3=Sarah K. |last4=Hawkins |first4=Billy |last5=Iber |first5=Jorge |last6=Kemper |first6=Kurt Edward |last7=Regalado |first7=Samuel O. |last8=Santillan |first8=Richard |last9=Smith |first9=Maureen |date=2008 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-60473-014-2}}</ref> The center was so important to Clemente that shortly before recording his 3,000th hit, he told his manager [[Danny Murtaugh]] that the most important moment of his life would not be the hit, but the creation of the center.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Briley |first1=Ron |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2tvcq4?turn_away=true |title=Sports and the Racial Divide: African American and Latino Experience in an Era of Change |last2=Ezra |first2=Michael |last3=Fields |first3=Sarah K. |last4=Hawkins |first4=Billy |last5=Iber |first5=Jorge |last6=Kemper |first6=Kurt Edward |last7=Regalado |first7=Samuel O. |last8=Santillan |first8=Richard |last9=Smith |first9=Maureen |date=2008 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-60473-014-2}}</ref> The project stalled after his death until his widow, [[Vera Clemente]], attained corporate assistance for the center in the late 1980s. Now, many professional Puerto Rican players have trained at the center.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Briley |first1=Ron |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2tvcq4?turn_away=true |title=Sports and the Racial Divide: African American and Latino Experience in an Era of Change |last2=Ezra |first2=Michael |last3=Fields |first3=Sarah K. |last4=Hawkins |first4=Billy |last5=Iber |first5=Jorge |last6=Kemper |first6=Kurt Edward |last7=Regalado |first7=Samuel O. |last8=Santillan |first8=Richard |last9=Smith |first9=Maureen |date=2008 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-60473-014-2}}</ref> 

Clemente visited [[Managua]], the capital city of [[Nicaragua]], in late 1972, while managing the [[Puerto Rico national baseball team]] at the [[1972 Amateur World Series]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran Cuban Team Captures Amateur Title; U.S. Runner-Up |url=https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&RecordId=43&PageId=7627016 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |agency=The Sporting News |date=December 30, 1972}}</ref> When Managua was affected by a [[1972 Nicaragua earthquake|massive earthquake]] three weeks later, on December 23, 1972, Clemente immediately set to work arranging emergency relief flights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/kids/ |title=White House Dream Team: Roberto Walker Clemente |publisher=White House |access-date=December 9, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216085030/http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/dreamteam/robertoclemente.html |archive-date=December 16, 2007 }}</ref> He soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of the [[Anastasio Somoza Debayle|Somoza]] government, never reaching victims of the quake.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2004/diciembre/11-diciembre-2004/nacional/nacional-20041211-15.html |title=El vuelo solidario y temerario de Clemente |newspaper=El Nuevo Diario |access-date=December 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204162100/http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2004/diciembre/11-diciembre-2004/nacional/nacional-20041211-15.html |archive-date=February 4, 2009 }}</ref> He decided to accompany the fourth relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors.<ref name="Gale">{{cite web|url=http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/clemente_r.htm |title=Hispanic Heritage: Roberto Clemente |publisher=Gale Gengage Learning |access-date=December 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223061635/http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/clemente_r.htm |archive-date=December 23, 2007 }}</ref>

The airplane which he chartered for the New Year's Eve flight, a [[Douglas DC-7]] [[Cargo aircraft|cargo plane]], had a history of mechanical problems and it also had an insufficient number of flight personnel (the flight was missing a flight engineer and a copilot), and it was also overloaded by {{convert|4200|lb}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fp4rAAAAIBAJ&pg=5781,1852044&dq=roberto+clemente+crash+overweight|title=Roberto Clemente plane ruled unfit|date=July 13, 1973|access-date=August 29, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)|Nashua Telegraph]] |author=Bryant, Ted}}</ref> It [[1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash|crashed]] into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of [[Isla Verde, Puerto Rico]] immediately after takeoff on December 31, 1972, due to engine failure.<ref name="Latino Legends">{{cite web|url=http://www.latinosportslegends.com/clemente.htm|title=Roberto Clemente|publisher=Latino Legends in Sports|access-date=December 9, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026063740/http://www.latinosportslegends.com/clemente.htm|archive-date=October 26, 2007}}</ref>

A search and rescue effort was immediately launched, led by the [[USCGC Sagebrush (WLB-399)|USCGC ''Sagebrush'']].<ref>{{Cite news |last=United Press International |date=January 1, 1973 |title=Clemente dies in crash |work=UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1973/01/01/Clemente-dies-in-crash/4581514685806/ |access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref> A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case which apparently belonged to Clemente was the only personal item of his which was recovered from the plane. Clemente's teammate and close friend [[Manny Sanguillén]] was the only member of the Pirates who did not attend Roberto's memorial service. Instead, the Pirates catcher chose to dive into the waters where Clemente's plane had crashed in an effort to find his teammate. The bodies of Clemente and three others who were also on the four-engine plane were never recovered.<ref name="Latino Legends" />

[[Montreal Expos]] pitcher [[Tom Walker (1970s pitcher)|Tom Walker]], then playing [[Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente|winter league ball]] in Puerto Rico, had helped him load the plane. Because Clemente wanted Walker, who was single, to go and enjoy New Year's Eve,<ref name="Kepner">{{cite news|last=Kepner|first=Tyler|title=Pittsburgh's Stirring Leap From the Abyss|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/sports/baseball/surprising-break-for-the-pittsburgh-pirates.html?pagewanted=2|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 1, 2013}}</ref> Clemente told him not to join him on the flight. A few hours later, Walker returned to his condo and discovered that the plane carrying Clemente had crashed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCalvy |first1=Adam |title=Tom Walker recalls memories of Clemente |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/neil-walker-s-father-tom-shares-clemente-story-c252844358 |work=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>

Immediately following Clemente's death, a relief-aid organization for the victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake was created in his name. President [[Richard Nixon]] was one of the most prominent contributors to Roberto Clemente Memorial Fund. Shortly after the inception of the fund, donations grew to $350,000.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Briley |first1=Ron |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2tvcq4 |title=Sports and the Racial Divide: African American and Latino Experience in an Era of Change |last2=Ezra |first2=Michael |last3=Fields |first3=Sarah K. |last4=Hawkins |first4=Billy |last5=Iber |first5=Jorge |last6=Kemper |first6=Kurt Edward |last7=Regalado |first7=Samuel O. |last8=Santillan |first8=Richard |last9=Smith |first9=Maureen |date=2008 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |jstor=j.ctt2tvcq4 |isbn=978-1-60473-014-2}}</ref>

In an interview for the [[ESPN]] documentary series ''[[SportsCentury]]'' in 2002, Clemente's widow Vera mentioned that Clemente had told her several times that he thought he was going to die young.<ref name="SportsCentury" /> Indeed, while he was being asked when he would get his 3,000th career hit by broadcaster and future fellow Hall of Famer [[Richie Ashburn]] in July 1971 during the All-Star Game activities, Clemente's response was "Well, uh, you never know. I, I, uh, if I'm alive, like I said before, you never know because God tells you how long you're going to be here. So you never know what can happen tomorrow."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfuckArQ_dQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/PfuckArQ_dQ| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Roberto Clemente Prophecy|publisher=YouTube|date=November 8, 1973|access-date=August 29, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Career overall ==

At the time of his death, Clemente had established several records with the Pirates, including most triples in a single game (three) and hits in two consecutive games (ten).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/single_game_records.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309152435/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/single_game_records.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 9, 2007|title=Pirates Single Game Records|publisher=Pittsburgh Pirates|access-date=January 9, 2008}}</ref> He won 12 [[Gold Glove Award]]s and shares the record of most won among outfielders with [[Willie Mays]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_ggnl.shtml|title=Gold Glove National League Outfielders|website=[[Baseball Almanac]]|access-date=January 9, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Most Gold Gloves (by position)|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0885059.html|publisher=Sandbox Networks, Inc./Infoplease|access-date=September 26, 2016}}</ref>

Clemente was an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] for 13 seasons, selected to 15 All-Star Games.{{efn|Major League Baseball held two All-Star Games for the years from 1959 to 1962.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/sports/baseball/15sandomir.html?ref=sports |title=When Midsummer Had Two Classics |author=Sandomir, Richard|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 15, 2008}}</ref>}} He won the NL [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP Award]] in 1966, and was named [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month|NL Player of the Month Award]] three times (May 1960, May 1967, July 1969). Clemente led the Pirates to two World Series titles, being named [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP]] in 1971.<ref name=clemente-stats/>

Clemente had two three-home run games in his career, as well as eight five-hit games in MLB.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/PX_clemr101.htm|title=Top Performances for Roberto Clemente|website=Retrosheet}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
! Category!! G !! BA !! AB !! R !! H !! 2B !! 3B !! HR !! RBI !! SB !! CS !! BB !! SO !! OBP !! SLG !! OPS !! E !! A !! PO !! FLD% !! {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
| Total || 2,433 || .317 || 9,454 || 1,416 || 3,000 || 440 || 166 || 240 || 1,305 || 83 || 46 || 621 || 1,230 || .359 || .475 || .834 || 142 || 269 || 4,796 || .972 || <ref name=clemente-stats/>
|}

==Honors and legacy==
Since the high point of his playing career, Clemente has been widely referred to as "'''The Great One'''", a nickname coined by sportscaster [[Bob Prince]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hanlon |first=Luke |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cFrfEAAAQBAJ&dq=roberto+clemente+nickname+%22the+great+one%22&pg=PA17 |title=Roberto Clemente: Baseball Legend |date=January 1, 2024 |publisher=North Star Editions, Inc. |isbn=978-1-63494-845-6 |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mumau |first=Thad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUsjCgAAQBAJ&dq=roberto+clemente+nickname+%22the+great+one%22&pg=PA105 |title="Had 'Em All the Way": The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates |date=July 10, 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9711-9 |pages=105 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1973, President [[Richard Nixon]] posthumously honored Clemente with the [[Presidential Citizens Medal]].<ref>{{cite web |work=The American Presidency Project |title=Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring Roberto Clemente, May 14, 1973 |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3844 |access-date=July 11, 2013 |archive-date=July 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719104736/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=3844 |url-status=dead }}</ref> That same day, Congress honored Clemente with the [[Congressional Gold Medal]].<ref>{{cite web |work=History, Arts & Archives |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives |title=The Roberto Clemente Walker Congressional Gold Medal |access-date=July 10, 2013 |url=http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35733}}</ref> In 2003, President [[George W. Bush]] awarded Clemente the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]].<ref>{{cite web |work=The American Presidency Project |title=Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, July 23, 2003 |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=64890 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719104742/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=64890 |archive-date=July 19, 2018 }}</ref> 

Clemente is an iconic sports figure in [[Puerto Rico]], widely revered by his people. The [[Roberto Clemente Coliseum|Coliseo Roberto Clemente]], opened in 1973 in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], and [[Roberto Clemente Stadium|Estadio Roberto Clemente]], opened in 2000 in [[Carolina, Puerto Rico|Carolina]], are both named in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Krueger |first1=Justin |title=Remembrance and Iconography of Roberto Clemente in Public Spaces |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/remembrance-and-iconography-of-roberto-clemente-in-public-spaces/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> In 2012, the [[Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente|Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League]] (LBPPR) was renamed Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, the number 21 was also permanently retired.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.primerahora.com/deportes/beisbol/nota/nacelaligadebeisbolprofesionalrobertoclemente-649919.html |title=Nace la Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente |date=May 19, 2012 |publisher=Primera Hora}}</ref> In 2022, the government of Puerto Rico granted Clemente the formal recognition of ''prócer'' (national hero).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.primerahora.com/deportes/beisbol/notas/a-casi-50-anos-de-su-muerte-dan-a-roberto-clemente-el-titulo-de-procer-de-puerto-rico/|title= A casi 50 años de su muerte, dan a Roberto Clemente el título de prócer de Puerto Rico|publisher=Primera Hora|language=Spanish|date=August 18, 2022|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref> {{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Pirates_21RC.png
|Name   = Roberto Clemente
|Number = 21
|Team   = Pittsburgh Pirates
|Year   = 1973
}}
On March 20, 1973, the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] held a special election for the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]. They voted to waive the waiting period for Clemente, due to the circumstances of his death, and posthumously elected him for induction into the Hall of Fame, giving him 393 out of 424 available votes, for 92.7% of the votes.{{efn|Clemente's Hall of Fame plaque originally had his name as "Roberto Walker Clemente" instead of the proper Spanish format "Roberto Clemente Walker"; the plaque was recast in 2000 to correct the error.<ref>{{cite news |title=Clemente's Plaque Corrected |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/20/sports/clementeacutes-plaque-corrected.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 20, 2000}}</ref> Both plaques are currently on display in the Hall of Fame, the new one in the plaque gallery and the original in the “sandlot kids clubhouse” area.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lukas |first1=Paul |title=Jeff Idelson: Baseball Hall of Fame president talks about caps, typos and more |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/interview/090723 |website=[[ESPN]] |date=July 23, 2009}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anapolis |first1=Nick |title=Clemente elected to Hall of Fame only months after crash |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/waiting-period-waived-for-clementes-election |publisher=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref> In 2003, he was inducted into the [[United States Marine Corps]] Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://robertoclementefoundation.org/roberto-clemente-veteran/ |title=Roberto Clemente: A Veteran Worthy of Honor |website=Roberto Clemente Foundation |date=September 4, 2018 |access-date=June 19, 2024 |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619212121/https://robertoclementefoundation.org/roberto-clemente-veteran/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was named to Major League Baseball's [[Latino Legends Team]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2005/m10/d26/c1260180.jsp |title=Chevrolet Presents the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team unveiled today |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |date=October 26, 2005 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630165620/http://www.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2005/m10/d26/c1260180.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2007, Clemente was selected for the [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|All Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team]] for the 50th anniversary of the creation of the [[Gold Glove Award]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/All_Time_Gold_Glove_Team.shtml |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> Clemente was elected to the [[Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame]] in 2010,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hispanicheritagebaseballmuseum.org/hall-of-fame.html |title=Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame |website=hispanicheritagebaseballmuseum.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106072333/https://www.hispanicheritagebaseballmuseum.org/hall-of-fame.html |archive-date=January 6, 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> and the [[Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2015. 

Clemente's number 21 was retired by the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] on April 6, 1973, a few weeks after his election to the Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pirates Retired Numbers |url=https://www.mlb.com/pirates/history/records-stats-awards/retired-numbers |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Jordan, Jimmy |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wB4OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=430DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3010%2C861427 |title=Misty Scene: Bucs Retire No. 21 |newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=April 7, 1973}}</ref> There have been calls for MLB to retire number 21 league-wide, as was done with [[Jackie Robinson]]'s number 42 in 1997, but the sentiment has been opposed by the Robinson family.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sharon Robinson: honor Clemente some other way|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2304057&type=story|work=[[ESPN]] |date=January 24, 2006 |access-date=August 17, 2009 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In 1973, [[Major League Baseball]] renamed the Commissioner's Award to the [[Roberto Clemente Award]]. It has been awarded every year to a player with outstanding baseball playing skills who is personally involved in community work. A trophy and a donation check for a charity of the player's choice are presented annually at the [[World Series]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente Award |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_moy.shtml |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> In 2002, 30 years after his death, Major League Baseball proclaimed September 15 as "Roberto Clemente Day".<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLB celebrates Roberto Clemente Day |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-celebrates-roberto-clemente-day-2022 |website=[[MLB.com]] |date=September 14, 2022}}</ref>

In 1974, the Harlem River State Park in [[Morris Heights, Bronx|Morris Heights]], [[The Bronx, New York City]], was renamed [[Roberto Clemente State Park]] in his honor. In 2013, forty years after his election to the Hall of Fame, a [[Statue of Roberto Clemente (New York City)|statue]] was unveiled at the park. It was the first statue honoring a Puerto Rican to be unveiled in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=David |title=A New Home for Clemente: On a Pedestal in the Bronx |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/a-new-home-for-clemente-on-a-pedestal-in-the-bronx/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 28, 2013}}</ref> Near the old [[Forbes Field]] where Clemente began his major league career, the city of Pittsburgh renamed a street in his honor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uncoveringpa.com/forbes-field-pittsburgh |title=Uncovering the Remnants of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh |last=Cheney |first=Jim |date=March 21, 2020 |access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> Additionally, the city named [[Roberto Clemente Memorial Park]] in his honor. At [[Pirate City]], the Pirates spring training home in [[Bradenton, Florida]], a section of 27th Street East is named Roberto Clemente Memorial Highway.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20120225/signs-of-roberto-clemente-remain-in-bradenton |title=Signs of Roberto Clemente remain in Bradenton |first=Chris |last=Anderson |date=February 25, 2012 |newspaper=Herald Tribune |access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> Over a dozen schools in the United States have been named after Clemente,<ref>{{cite web |title=Search for Public Schools - Search Results |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&InstName=clemente&SchoolID=&Address=&City=&State=&Zip=&Miles=&County=&PhoneAreaCode=&Phone=&DistrictName=&DistrictID=&SchoolType=1&SchoolType=2&SchoolType=3&SchoolType=4&SpecificSchlTypes=all&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1 |website=nces.ed.gov |publisher=[[National Center for Education Statistics]] |access-date=September 11, 2025}}</ref> including the [[Roberto Clemente Community Academy]] in [[Chicago]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clementehs.org/ |title=About Us |publisher=Roberto Clemente Community Academy}}</ref> and the [[Roberto Clemente Charter School]] in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.myrccs.com |publisher=Roberto Clemente Charter School}}</ref>

The [[United States Postal Service]] issued a Roberto Clemente postal stamp on August 17, 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2001/April13/04.htm |title=National Postal Museum to feature Roberto Clemente Walker |work=Hispania News |access-date=December 10, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203191320/http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2001/April13/04.htm |archive-date=February 3, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The stamp was designed by Juan Lopez-Bonilla and shows Clemente wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap with a [[Puerto Rican flag]] in the background.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oliver |first1=Tony |title=Roberto Clemente Postage Stamps Across the World |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/roberto-clemente-postage-stamps-across-the-world/ |publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> The Pirates originally [[Statue of Roberto Clemente (Pittsburgh)|erected a statue]] in memory of Clemente at [[Three Rivers Stadium]], just before the [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]]. It has since been moved to [[PNC Park]] when it opened in 2001, and stands outside the park's centerfield gates.<ref>{{cite news |title=Statue dedicated to Clemente |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/07/08/Statue-dedicated-to-Clemente/3985773640000/ |work=United Press International |date=July 8, 1991}}</ref>

In 1999, Clemente was ranked number 20 on ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking Latin American and Caribbean player on the list.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Baseball's 100 Greatest Players: No. 20, Roberto Clemente |magazine=[[The Sporting News]]|date=April 26, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050130023826/http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-20.html |archive-date=January 30, 2005 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-20.html}}</ref> Later that year, he was nominated as a finalist for the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html |title=All-Century Team final voting |website=[[ESPN]] |date=October 23, 1999 |access-date=March 5, 2009}}</ref> In 2020, ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked Clemente at number 40 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter [[Joe Posnanski]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Posnanski |first1=Joe |title=The Baseball 100: No. 40, Roberto Clemente |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1597307/2020/02/16/the-baseball-100-no-40-roberto-clemente/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |date=February 16, 2020}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Clemente was married on November 14, 1964, to [[Vera Clemente|Vera Zabala]] at San Fernando Church in [[Carolina, Puerto Rico|Carolina]]. The couple had three children: [[Roberto Clemente Jr.|Roberto]] (often referred to as "Roberto Jr."), born in 1965; Luis Roberto, born in 1966; and Roberto Enrique, born in 1969.<ref>{{cite web |title=Clemente's Family and Legacy |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/roberto-clemente-his-family-and-his-legacy/ |website=[[PBS]]}}</ref> Vera Clemente died on November 16, 2019, aged 78.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 16, 2019 |title=Vera Clemente, widow of Pirates legend, dies at age 78 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28096785/vera-clemente-widow-pirates-legend-dies-age-78 |access-date=November 16, 2019 |work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name="NYT Vera obit">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/sports/baseball/vera-clemente-dead.html|title=Vera Clemente, Flame-Keeping Widow of Baseball's Roberto, Dies at 78|first=Katharine Q.|last=Seelye|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 18, 2019}}</ref>

Clemente was a devout [[Catholic Church|Catholic]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Doino|first=William|title=The Christian Witness of Roberto Clemente|url=https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/01/the-christian-witness-of-roberto-clemente|access-date=March 5, 2023|website=firstthings.com|date=January 14, 2013 }}</ref> In the 2010s, there was an initiative to have him [[Canonization|canonized]] by the Catholic Church.<ref name=LaySuport>{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Heather |title=Roberto Clemente, the next saint?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/roberto-clemente-the-next-saint/2014/06/17/fdd35ca4-f647-11e3-afdf-f7ffea8c744a_story.html |access-date=December 25, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Snyder |first1=Matt |title=Saint Roberto? There's a canonization movement for Clemente |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/saint-roberto-theres-a-canonization-movement-for-clemente/ |work=[[CBS Sports]] |date=June 12, 2015}}</ref>

Clemente's older brother Justino visited the Baseball Hall of Fame, and provided insight to the language barrier and racism Roberto faced.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Francis |first1=Bill |title=Justino Clemente, brother of Roberto, visits Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/justino-clemente-visits-hall-of-fame |website=National Baseball Hall of Fame |access-date=March 14, 2025 |date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> Justino died in March 2025 at the age of 97.<ref>{{cite web |last1=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |title=The Hall of Fame family mourns the loss of Justino "Matino" Clemente |website= [[Facebook]]|url=https://www.facebook.com/share/15frgqg25U/ |access-date=March 14, 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Gold Glove Award winners at outfield]]
*[[List of baseball players who died during their careers]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career extra base hits leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise]]
*[[List of Puerto Rican Presidential Citizens Medal recipients]]
*[[List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Book sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author=Maraniss, David |url=https://archive.org/details/clemente00davi |title=Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year= 2006 |isbn=978-0743299992 |url-access=registration |ref=Maraniss}}
* {{cite book |author=Markusen, Bruce |title=Roberto Clemente: The Great One |year=1998 |publisher=Sports Publishing |isbn= 978-1613213483|url=https://archive.org/details/robertoclementeg00mark |url-access=registration |ref=Markusen}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
===Articles===
{{div col}}
* {{cite news |author=Hernon, Jack |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0zkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7GoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6151%2C1680031 |title=Roamin' Around: The Kid They'll Talk About |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=May 6, 1955}}
* {{cite news |author=Biederman, Les |url=http://www.mediafire.com/view/rfm1g74w7cl1jqu/.png |title=Clemente Belts Tape-Measure Homer at Wrigley Field |work=[[The Sporting News]] |date=May 27, 1959}}
* {{cite news |author=Cernkovic, Rudy |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |url=https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/puerto-rican-migration-to-the-us/sources/1155 |title=Roberto Clemente Is Often Compared with Willie Mays |work=[[Memphis World]] |date=May 28, 1960}} 
* {{cite news |author=Prato, Lou |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UFFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-mANAAAAIBAJ&pg=3451%2C4306871 |title=Rival Pitchers Look Out! Clemente very sick man |work=[[Oxnard Press-Courier]] |date=June 5, 1962}}
* {{cite news |author=Schuyler, Ed |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e5ooAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k8wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=816,1870316 |title=Clemente Unorthodox? Well, He Gets Results |work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal|The Daytona Beach Morning Journal]] |date=August 11, 1964}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Cope, Myron |url=https://archive.org/details/Sports-Illustrated-1966-03-07/page/n31 |title=Aches and Pains and Three Batting Titles |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=March 7, 1966}}
* Richman, Milton. [https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19660315.2.69&srpos=14&e=-------en--20--1--txt "Roberto Clemente Tells Them All What's What"]. ''Desert Sun''. March 11, 1966
* Biederman, Les. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88977998/the-pittsburgh-press/ "Clemente Bombs Mets: Roberto Socks 500-Foot Homer"]. ''The Pittsburgh Press''. March 25, 1966.
* Biederman, Les. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z3wqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Tk8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6610%2C2693224 "The Scoreboard: Big Day For Two Pirates; Clemente's Friend Retrieves Ball; Longest Drive In Wrigley Field"]. ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 6, 1966.
* Biederman, Les. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=03wqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Tk8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7094%2C4083455 "Cards Survive Clemente's HR Blast; Roberto Raps 450-Footer In 4-2 Loss"]. ''The Pittsburgh Press''. June 10, 1966.
* Chass, Murray (AP). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1vAjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HZsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5832%2C2309718 "Donn Drags, Not Clemente"]. ''The Tuscaloosa News''. June 14, 1966.
* Feeney, Charley. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s8ZaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7092%2C2814301 "Roamin' Around: Is He Really the Great Roberto?"]. ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. August 19, 1966.
* Couch, Dick (AP). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KyMhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1mUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4684%2C5055151 "Clemente Waves Banner for Spanish-Speaking Players: Don't Get Due Recognition"]. ''The Sarasota Herald-Tribune''. August 23, 1966. 
* Biederman, Les. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/7syy7ln13sbka6x/.png "Roberto's Bat Softens Rivals; Clemente Clouts Clutch HR for 2,000th Hit"]. ''The Sporting News''. September 17, 1966.
* Biederman, Les.[http://www.mediafire.com/view/9affcvw0bw1dutl/.png "Roberto's Rifle Wing Amazes Fans, Shoots Down Cards, Amazes Fans"]. ''The Sporting News''. July 1, 1967. 
* Hano, Arnold. [https://books.google.com/books?id=7LsdgvCy-S4C&pg=PA24 "Roberto Clemente, Baseball's Brightest Superstar"]. ''Boys' Life''. March 1968.
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=D1UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70 "The Strain of Being Roberto Clemente: A beaseball superstar frustrated by faint praise"]. ''Life''. May 24, 1968.
* Richman, Milton. [https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19680814.2.78&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 "Ailing Shoulder Bothers Roberto: Loves Baseball Too Much to Quit"]. ''Desert Sun''. August 14, 1968.
* Wilson, John. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/s25oyseck470qc7/.JPG "Standing Cheer for Roberto"]. ''The Sporting News''. February 20, 1971.
* Abrams, Al. "Sidelights on Sports: I Remember Roberto". ''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. January 2, 1973. pp. [http://www.mediafire.com/view/6dz0gc5hist5zja/.jpg 14], [http://www.mediafire.com/view/ua5n5ue5hs5c2le/.jpg 17].
* {{cite magazine |author=Wulf, Steve |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1992/12/28/127825/december-31-arriba-roberto-on-new-years-eve-in-1972-roberto-clemente-undertook-a-mission-of-mercy-his-death-that-night-immortalized-him-as-a-man-greater-than-his-game |title=December 31: ¡Arriba Roberto! |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=December 28, 1992}}
* {{cite magazine |author=Wulf, Steve |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1994/09/19/132039/25-roberto-clemente |title=25 Roberto Clemente |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=September 19, 1994}}

===Books===
* Darda, Joseph. 2025. "Roberto Clemente on the Black/Brown Color Line." in ''Gift and Grit: Race, Sports, and the Construction of Social Debt'', pp. 54–84. Cambridge University Press.
* {{cite book |author= Hano, Arnold |title=Roberto Clemente, Batting King |year=1973  |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons |oclc=762748 |url=https://archive.org/details/robertoclementeb00hano/mode/2up |url-access=registration}} 
* {{cite book |author= Musick, Phil |title=Who Was Roberto? A Biography of Roberto Clemente |year=1974  |publisher=Associated Features, Inc. |isbn=9780385084215 |url=https://archive.org/details/whowasrobertobio00musi |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author= O'Brien, Jim  |title=Remembering Roberto: Clemente Recalled by Teammates, Family, Friends and Fans |year=1994  |publisher=James P. O'Brien |isbn=9780916114145 |url=https://archive.org/details/rememberrobertoc0000obri |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author= Markusen, Bruce |title=The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates |year=2009  |publisher=Westholme Publishing |isbn=978-1594160899 |url=https://archive.org/details/teamthatchangedb0000mark_o0e2 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author=Freedman, Lew |title=Roberto Clemente: Baseball Star & Humanitarian: Baseball Star And Humanitarian |year=2011  |publisher=Sportszone |isbn=978-1617147548 |url=https://archive.org/details/robertoclementeb0000free |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author=Santiago, Wilfred |title=21: The Story of Roberto Clemente |year=2011  |publisher= Fantagraphics Books |isbn=978-1606997758 |url=https://archive.org/details/21thestoryofrobe0000sant/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}
{{div end}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Roberto Clemente}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=112391|espn=20219|br=c/clemero01|fangraphs=1002340|brm=clemen004rob|retro=C/Pclemr101}}, or [https://beisbol101.com/jugador/roberto-clemente/ Beisbol 101]
*[https://www.robertoclementefoundation.org Roberto Clemente Foundation]
*{{bbhof|clemente-roberto}}
*{{sabrbio|roberto-clemente}}
*{{IMDb name|0166165}}
*[https://clementemuseum.com Roberto Clemente Museum]
*[https://www.mlb.com/mlb-together/roberto-clemente-day Roberto Clemente Day]

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{{s-ach}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Eddie Mathews]] <br /> [[Pete Rose]] <br /> [[Ron Santo]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award|Major League Player of the Month]]|years = May 1960 <br /> May 1967 <br /> July 1969}} 
{{s-aft|after = [[Lindy McDaniel]] <br /> [[Hank Aaron]] <br /> [[Willie Davis (baseball)|Willie Davis]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Roberto Clemente}}
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{{1960 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
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{{Puerto Rico national baseball team managers}}
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{{Babe Ruth Award}}
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{{Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame}}
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{{Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award}}
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{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball|Puerto Rico}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clemente, Roberto}}
[[Category:Roberto Clemente| ]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1972 deaths]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Carolina, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Congressional Gold Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Expatriate baseball players in Nicaragua]]
[[Category:Gold Glove Award winners]]
[[Category:Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente outfielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:Missing air passengers]]
[[Category:Missing American people]]
[[Category:Montreal Royals players]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National League batting champions]]
[[Category:National League Most Valuable Player Award winners]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Presidential Citizens Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of African descent]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican United States Marines]]
[[Category:Sportspeople killed in aviation accidents or incidents]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps reservists]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1972]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:World Series Most Valuable Player Award winners]]