In 2002, 30 years after his tragic death, Major League Baseball proclaimed September 15 Roberto Clemente Day. Today, we honor the life of “The Great One,” Roberto Clemente.
Roberto Clemente was an incredible player during his time in the league. Throughout his career, he accumulated a 94.9 bWar. He was a 15-time all-star, 12-time gold glove winner, four-time batting champion, two-time World Series winner, the 1971 WS MVP, and the 1966 NL MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by special election in 1973.
There is no doubt that Clemente is one of the greatest baseball players in history, but as good as he was on the field, he was even better off the field.
Many players consider the Roberto Clemente Award to be the most prestigious award they can receive, as it is a community service award.
Roberto Clemente was known for spending his off-season doing as much community service as possible.
Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, was struck by a massive earthquake on December 23, 1972. Clemente, who had just visited the country, made sure to help by setting up emergency relief planes.
After discovering that the corrupt government had diverted the first three planes, Clemente hopped on the fourth and final plane. He had hoped that his name would help get the plane there.
Sadly, due to an engine failure, the plane crashed after takeoff. Clemente died doing what he knew best, trying to help others as much as possible.
This is why Major League Baseball and everyone honor him on this day. It is to remember life not just as a player of the game but as a great human being.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: 7/1966- Close-ups of Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates
