February 2026
On September 30th, 1972, Roberto Clemente collected his 3,000th hit. What made it even more special was he was able to do it in front of the Pittsburgh home fans in old Three Rivers Stadium. It was a double off Jon Matlack of the New York Mets. Little did anyone know that would be the last Major League hit for one of the greatest ballplayers to ever play the game.
Clemente was born in 1934. He was a product of Barrio San Anton, a municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico. His Father Melchor Clemente, worked in the sugarcane fields and his mother Luisa Walker, was a homemaker. In 1964 Roberto would marry 23-year-old fellow Carolinense Vera Zebala. Roberto and Vera would go on to have three boys Roberto Jr., Luis, and Enrique. All three boys were born on their beloved island. That was something Roberto and Vera took immense pride in. Clemente would spend much of his off-season on the island focusing on charitable works. Clemente lived by his quote, “Anytime you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on earth”.
Roberto’s Major League career started in 1955. Only eight years after Jackie Robinson integrated the major leagues. He faced all types of discrimination in his playing days. He was a black man, he was Latin, and he spoke broken English. Throughout his career he would become a fierce supporter of civil rights and a man that was unapologetically Puerto Rican. During his career he would continue to play Winter ball back home on the island. He played as well as managed for legendary teams like the Cangrejeros de Santurce, San Juan Senadores, and the Criollos de Caguas. Today the Puerto Rican Winter League bears his name, Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente. Along with his 3,000 hits. He collected 15 All-Star appearances, 1 NL MVP Award, 12 gold gloves, 4 NL Batting Titles, 1 World Series MVP, and two-time World Series Champion with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 14 World Series games. He hit safely in all 14 games and finished with .414 world series batting average. In 1958 he became Private First-Class Clemente. He trained at the famed Parris Island in South Carolina. Roberto was a professional ball player, a voice for civil rights, and a United States Marine.
In November of 1972 Roberto was in Nicaragua coaching baseball and raising money for local charities. His time in Nicaragua had a tremendous effect on him. The children, the poverty, and the warmness of the Nicaraguan people. On December 23rd of that year a massive 6.3 earthquake hit Managua. Although thousands of donations were being delivered to Nicaragua. Much of the donations were being confiscated by de facto dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle. Roberto made the decision to accompany a plane of relief supplies leaving from San Juan International Airport. Believing that his name and notoriety would prevent those relief supplies from being stolen by the corrupted Somoza government. The plane would depart on New Year's eve 1972. A man who owned a DC-7 cargo plane offered to transport the goods to Managua. Unbeknownst to Clemente the plane was not fit to fly. Neither was its owner and its understaffed personnel. Overweight and the incorrectly loaded supplies would spell disaster. As the plane took off and banked over Isla Verde the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Taking the lives of everyone on board. The Death of Clemente hit Puerto Rico, Major League Baseball, and Pittsburgh hard. Roberto would come to represent the best in everyone. His commitment to social justice, his love for poor and oppressed people from all over the Caribbean and Latin American became his legacy. Roberto said, “I am from the poor people; I represent the poor people. I like workers. I like people that suffer because these people have a different approach to life from the people that have everything and don't know what suffering is”. Roberto’s widow and her three sons would carry on his work and legacy. His beloved Vera would pass away in 2019 at the age of 78. Roberto’s spirit is carried on through his three sons.
In 1973 not long after his death the Baseball Writers Association of America would waive the mandatory five-year waiting period to posthumously elect Clemente to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Roberto garnered 92.7% of the vote. That same year the Commissioner’s award was renamed to the Roberto Clemente Award. The award is given out annually to a Major Leaguer who, “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team”. Hundreds of schools, parks, highways, streets, and stadiums have been named after Roberto. These honors stretch from the United States, Nicaragua, his home island of Puerto Rico and all the way to places like Germany. Roberto’s lasting impact can be found in today’s boom of Latino baseball players. Many chose to wear the number 21 to honor Clemente. Where some believe no ball player is worthy of wearing the number 21. If you visit Pittsburgh, you must make a pilgrimage to the 12-foot bronze Clemente statue outside of PNC Park. Make an appointment to visit The Clemente Museum at 3339 Penn Avenue. Pittsburgh, PA 15201. The memory of Roberto Clemente continues to live in every baseball fan.
“When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a baseball player. This is something I think about. The more I think about it, I’m convinced that god wanted me to play baseball.”
- Roberto Clemente 1972
