All-Marine Sports Celebrates the Legacy of Roberto Clemente

Humanitarian Hall of Fame Ballplayer, Marine. September 9th, 2020, marked the annual celebration of Roberto Clemente Day across Major League Baseball. In addition to being an all-time great on the diamond, Clemente was also a Marine, a humanitarian, and a proud Puerto Rican national. Known across the Americas as much for his humanitarian service as for his athletic prowess, Roberto passed away tragically on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver aid supplies to victims of a terrible earthquake in Nicaragua. In his great career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 until his untimely death in 1972, Roberto proved to be among the best to ever play the game of baseball. A two time World Series champion, he amassed 3,000 hits, 240 home runs, 13 selections to the All-Star Team, one MVP, four batting titles, and 12 Gold Glove Awards. Rather than spending his winters playing baseball in his home of Puerto Rico, Roberto enlisted in the Corps in 1958. He served as a reservist infantryman for six years, until 1964. Roberto was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Puerto Rican Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018. The All-Marine Sports program is proud to honor Roberto, the man, the ballplayer, and the Marine.

>Sources.

Roberto Clemente Foundation https://robertoclementefoundation.com/roberto-clemente-veteran/

Baseball Hall of Fame https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/clemente-roberto