Roberto Clemente

Puerto Rican baseball player (1934-1972) · United States · On the map · Athletes · Died at 38

Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker 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.

Roberto Clemente is read about 1,564 times a day, in 24 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026

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Career 3

ClubYears

Pittsburgh Pirates1955-1972

Montreal Royals1954

Cangrejeros de Santurce

Media & music

Photos 8

Clemente in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in September 1958

Roberto Clemente's number 21 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1973.

Statue of Roberto Clemente in Roberto Clemente State Park

Awards

Presidential Medal of Freedom2003

Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award1966

Babe Ruth Award

Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award

Presidential Citizens Medal

Rawlings Gold Glove Award

Congressional Gold Medal

About this person

On December 31, 1972, Clemente was killed when his Douglas DC-7 airplane, which he had chartered for a flight to deliver emergency relief goods for the survivors of a 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 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 Latino and Caribbean player and second of Hispanic descent to be honored in the Hall of Fame. He is widely referred to as "The Great One."

Country

United States