Roberto Clemente’s baseball fame transcended the sport and gave him a platform to give back.
On the field he was one of the game’s all-time greats, amassing 3,000 hits and winning two World Series championships over 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Off the field, Clemente lived with a philanthropic and charitable spirit. He saw his fame and fortune as a gift that could help provide for those less fortunate.
In December 1972, Clemente organized a relief effort in his native Puerto Rico to aid victims of a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua. Clemente was preparing to deliver a plane full of supplies in person on New Year’s Eve.
The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff. All five people on board were killed, including the great Roberto Clemente, who was only 38 years old.
For both his great skill as a player and his character away from the field, Clemente remains a revered figure in Pittsburgh, in Puerto Rico, and throughout all of Latin America.
Every September 15, we celebrate
#ClementeDay to honor Roberto’s legacy of charity and kindness.