Roberto Clemente Research Paper

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Brady Seitz Cuatro El cinco de octubre Roberto Clemente Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Clemente’s family was poor and he was the youngest of seven children. His father, Melchor Clemente, worked as a foreman on a sugarcane planation and his mother, Luisa Clemente, ran a grocery store for plantation workers. To earn money for his family he worked alongside his father and took other jobs like delivering milk. Clemente began playing baseball with other neighborhood kids on the local sandlots. He attended Vizcarondo high school and joined Puerto Rico’s amateur league at age sixteen. In 1952, Clemente was offered a contract from a Puerto Rican professional team, Cangrejeros de Santurce. The Brooklyn…show more content…
Playing with the Pirates, Clemente faced racial tension between the local media and teammates. He knew little English and finished his rookie season with an average of .255. Struggling in his first 5 years, Clemente started to dominate after the 1960 season. In 1960 he lead the league with a .353 average, led the Pirates to a 95-59 record, and took the World Series against the Yankees. Clemente made frequent trips to his home country of Puerto Rico, one of which on November 14, 1964, he married his wife Vera Zabala. He won the National League golden glove award for outfielders twelve straight times beginning in 1961. He won the National league batting title in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967 and won the Most Valuable Player in 1967. Clemente’s greatness on and off the field continued into the 1970’s when he raised thousands of dollars for charity on Roberto Clemente Night in Pittsburgh. The Pirates again made the World Series in 1972 and Clemente won the World Series MVP award. During the 1972 season Roberto Clemente became just the 11th player to reach his 3,000th hit. In the offseason of the 1972 season, the…show more content…
He decided to join the fourth flight on New Year’s Eve to ensure the delivery to the people who deserved it. The flight was overloaded by 4,200 pounds and crashed into the ocean immediately after takeoff, killing Clemente and his body was never recovered. In 1973 the baseball hall of fame held a special election and waived the waiting period so Roberto Clemente could be immediately inducted. Roberto Clemente leaves his legacy on both the MLB and the city of Pittsburgh with things like the Roberto Clemente award and the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The annual Roberto Clemente award is given to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team". Pittsburgh has several things dedicated to his life in the city. The 6th Street Bridge was renamed in honor of his memory and in the Pirates stadium, PNC Park, the right field wall stands 21 feet tall, a tribute to both his position and jersey number. Clemente also won three posthumous citizen awards, awarded by the president. These medal include The Roberto Clemente Walker Congressional Gold Medal, The

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