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Roberto Clemente Photo Gallery

Remembering Roberto Clemente on His Birthday: A Great Ballplayer…

…and an Even Greater Man!

If it was humanly possible for a ball to be caught, Roberto Clemente was going to get it.” –Pirates’ manager Danny Murtaugh

I think the great action shot below illustrates exactly what Danny Murtaugh had in mind when he uttered the featured quote.  The yell, “He’s got it!” was probably heard on this catch and so many, many others over his career. In this photo, we see Clemente stretched out like an acrobat making a fantastic catch in right, his athleticism captured for all to see.

As I’m sure many of you are aware, today is the anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s birth in Carolina, Puerto Rico, August 18, 1934. Had his life not been tragically cut short, he’d be 92 years old today. Roberto was killed in a plane crash almost 54 years ago (December 31, 1972) while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. As has now become our custom over the years, we honor the memory of this great ballplayer each year on the anniversary of his birth, so here are a few words about his Hall-of-Fame career:

Whenever anyone from the “older generation” (like me!) is asked who had the best arm they had ever seen, they would usually respond, “Roberto Clemente” without hesitation, almost automatically. It’s a shame today’s younger fans didn’t get to see him play. He was something special. As a Cub fan, I saw him beat the Cubs many times. If it wasn’t with his bat, it was with a great catch in right or with his cannon of an arm. National League runners knew not to try to take an extra base on Roberto Clemente. He’s certainly one of the best – if not the best – to ever patrol right field.

Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pirates from 1955 through 1972. He was inducted posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be enshrined. His death established the precedent that, as an alternate to the five-year retirement period, a player deceased for at least six months is eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame.

Over his career, Clemente hit .317, with exactly 3000 hits, 1416 runs, 440 doubles, 166 triples, 240 home runs, 1305 RBIs, a .359 on-base percentage, and a .475 slugging percentage. Clemente was a 15-time All-Star, a National League Most Valuable Player (1966), a World Series MVP (1971), a four-time National League batting champion, a two-time World Series champion, and a twelve-time Gold Glove winner. He led the National League in hits twice, triples once, put-outs as a right fielder three times, and outfield fielding average once.