Yesterday marked the fiftieth anniversary of the tragic death of Roberto Clemente. On December 31, 1972, he took a flight to help the victims of a catastrophic earthquake in Nicaragua. His plane ran aground in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Clemente’s body was never found.
Clemente spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 18 seasons, from 1955 to 1972, making him an icon among Pirates fans.
A highlight: On July 25, 1956, against the Chicago Cubs, Clemente hit the only documented interior winning grand slam in major league baseball history.
In his career, he won the World Series twice, in 1960 and 1971, in addition to being the most valuable player in the 1971 playoffs. He was named to the league’s all-star team 15 times. He has won the Golden Glove 12 times, thus being among the most awarded, tied with Willie Mays.
On March 20, 1973, only three months after his death, Major League Baseball held a special session to elect Clemente to the Hall of Fame due to his tragic death. He was elected with 92.7% of the votes. His number, 21, was retired in 1973. It was his death that prompted major league baseball to change its rules to retire a number: a player must have been retired for at least five years, or be deceased for six months or more.
Since 1971, Major League Baseball has presented the Roberto Clemente Trophy, renamed in his honor in 1973, which is awarded to the player who best represents baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the player’s contribution to his team. Clemente was heavily involved in the community.
Clemente’s impact is so significant that he is the athlete with the most statues and monuments to his tribute in the world.
The Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League was renamed the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, and its number retired.
In 2022, MLB inaugurated September 15 as Roberto Clemente Day. Puerto Rico recognizes Clemente as a national hero, and the U.S. government has given him several medals.
Many schools in the United States and Puerto Rico bear his name. In Pittsburgh itself, in the stadium, PNC Park, the right field wall (Clemente’s position) is 21 feet high, in honor of his number. A statue representing him stands near the stadium and the bridge, the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Near the stadium is the Roberto Clemente Park. A museum dedicated to Clemente is also present in Pittsburgh, as well as a street bearing his name near the old Forbes Field, where he began his career.
It is simply impossible to be in Pittsburgh and ignore the impact left by the passage of this exceptional man.
