Roberto Clemente, baseball legend and humanitarian, was born August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. [1] He began his baseball career immediately after graduating from high school, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers and playing on their minor league team, the Montreal Royals. [2] Clemente made his major league debut the very next year (1955) as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first selection in the rookie draft. [3] Although he struggled with injuries and the language barrier his first few seasons, by the mid 60’s Clemente became a baseball phenom, winning 12 consecutive Golden Glove Awards. [3] His outstanding play led the Pirates back to the World Series in 1971 and the world title, winning the MVP after hitting .414 batting average. [4] Off the field, Clemente was equally known for his dedication and commitment to his humanitarian work, spending his offseason delivering food and baseball equipment to kids and families in Latin American and the Caribbean. [1] His life was tragically cut short when the plane he was traveling on crashed, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. [2] In 1973, Clemente was the first Puerto Rican after a special election that waived the five-year waiting period. [3] Other accolades include 15 MLB All-Star game appearances, National League’s MVP and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded in 2003 by President George W. Bush. [4].In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Clemente is being recognized and featured in today’s Google Doodle, by artist Roxie Vizcarra, Peruvian-American artist/illustrator, who refers to him as a “Latinx trailblazer and passionate humanitarian. [3]
To learn more about Roberto Clemente, visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente
https://www.biography.com/people/roberto-clemente-9250805
https://www.cnet.com/news/google-doodle-honors-baseball-great-and-humanitarian-roberto-clemente/
https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/clemente-roberto