Written by: Ray Lamar Inspired by: Artist Bill Rembert
Roberto Clemente left his mark on baseball and as an activist for Minority rights. When he suddenly died in a plane crash his contributions and importance were immediately felt, as he died on a plane going to Nicaragua to deliver goods to earthquake victims. People described him as a man of honor that was quiet and easy going.
Clemente spent the first part of his playing career in the minors for the LA Dodgers, playing for the Montreal Royals. But by 1955 Clemente was moved up and shipped out to play in the majors. He would make his debut with the Pittsburg Pirates. Clemente would quickly become a household name on account of his bat, leading the national league in batting. But as it has been said “consistency and performance are the keys to success”. Roberto would show the majors that he could perform consistently by leading the National league in batting 4 times in the 1960s. In 1971 Clemente played in the world series, where his performance was close to perfect batting .414 connecting with two home runs.
Clemente would continue to rivet himself into baseball history as time went on winning several more batting titles and leading the league in hits. From the right field perspective Clemente also displayed the rifle of an arm he had, throwing steam from his position on the field to throw out would be scorers. During the 1966 season he would reach a Zenith blasting 29 homers, batting .317, 119 RBIs, and the NL Most valuable player award. Additionally, Roberto Clemente would become the first Latin American baseball player to reach 3,000 hits in his career.
Editor’s Note: This article first published on February 18, 2020.