Quick Facts about Roberto Clemente

Born on August 18, 1934, Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican baseball player. He was a professional baseball right fielder from Puerto Rico who spent 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Moreover, Clemente competed in 15 All-Star Games over his thirteen-year stint as an All-Star. He won the NL MVP in 1966, the NL batting leader in 1961, 1964, 1965, and 1967.

How much is the net worth of Roberto Clemente?

The Puerto Rican professional baseball player, Robert Clemente, had a net worth of $300 thousand in 1972 before his death. When rounded around, the valuation of $300 thousand is the same as $1.9 million in the present time. Similarly, Roberto collected around $760,000 in compensation throughout his tragically brief career. In his final season of baseball, he was paid $150,000. That translates to nearly $933,000 in today’s dollars.

Early Life and Childhood

Roberto was born to Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker in Barrio San Antón, Carolina, Puerto Rico. Similarly, he was the seventh kid of a family of seven. Clemente’s father worked as a foreman for sugar cane fields in the municipality, located in the northeastern region of the island, during his boyhood. Likewise, Clemente and his siblings helped his father load and unload goods from trucks in the fields as the resources were minimal.

As a youth, Clemente was a track and field standout and Olympic prospect before focusing on baseball. Similarly, he had been interested in baseball since he was a boy, and he used to play against the barrios in his neighborhood. In Carolina, he attended Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado High School. Clemente began playing in the amateur league of Puerto Rico when he was sixteen for the Ferdinand Juncos team, which represented the Juncos municipality.

Clemente’s Journey of the Baseball Legacy

The Puerto Rican began his professional baseball career at the age of 18 when he signed a contract with Cangrejeros de Santurce (“Crabbers”), a winter league team and franchise of (LBBPR) (LBBPR). Finally, on October 9, 1952, Clemente officially joined the team. Clemente spent his first season on the bench; however, he was upgraded to the Cangrejeros’ starting lineup the following season.

As the team’s leadoff hitter, he batted.288 during the season. The Brooklyn Dodgers offered Clemente a contract with one of their Triple-A affiliates while still playing in the LBBPR.

The run

Robert Clemente signed a minor league contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He spent a season with their minor league team, the Montreal Royals. Later, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates the next year and made his main League debut in 1955. Clemente hit .311 in 1956, but he suffered early due to injuries and a language barrier.

In 1960, he struck his stride, hitting .314 with 16 home runs and 94 RBIs, earning him his first All-Star trip and helping the Pirates win the World Series. Similarly, he led the National League with a.351 average, hit 23 home runs, and earned his first of 12 straight Gold Glove Awards for fielding brilliance the coming year. As the decade continued, Clemente developed himself as one of baseball’s best all-around players.

In addition, he went on to win three more batting titles and lead the league in hits twice. The Puerto Rican also boasted fearsome arms in baseball, frequently firing crushing throws from his right field post. He had one of his best seasons in 1966, batting.317 with a career-high 29 homers and 119 RBIs to earn the National League Most Valuable Player Award. In the 1971 World Series, Clemente hit.414 with two home runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates upset the Baltimore Orioles, greatly favored.
The 3000 Hits

Despite being dissatisfied and suffering with infirmities, Clemente competed in 102 games and hit.312 in 1972. He was also named to his twelfth straight NL All-Star team (he appeared in 14/15 All-Star games) and won his twelfth consecutive Gold Glove. On September 30, he reached 3,000 hits with a double in the fourth inning against Jon Matlack of the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium. It was his final at-bat of the regular season.

Clemente equaled Honus Wagner’s record of 2,433 games played as a Pittsburgh Pirate by playing in right field in one more regular-season game on October 3. Similarly, he batted.235 and went 4 for 17 in the NL playoffs that season.

On October 11, 1972, he played in the fifth and final game of the 1972 National League Championship Series at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. In addition, he and Bill Mazeroski were the final two players from the 1960 World Series-winning Pirates.

Who is Robert’s Wife?

Clemente married Vera Zabala on November 14, 1964, at San Fernando Church in Carolina. Vera Zabala was born on March 7, 1941, in Puerto Rico. She obtained a business administration degree from the University of Puerto Rico. Similarly, she also worked as a teller at the government bank in Carolina, just outside of San Juan.

How did they meet?

According to David Maraniss’ biography “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero,” she left the bank to stroll to the drugstore across the street one day in 1964, and Clemente, who was driving by, noticed her. He presented himself to her inside the pharmacy, but Ms. Zabala didn’t appear interested. On the other side, her father was cruel and kept her on a tight leash. Clemente, who had been in the Hall of Fame for several years, tracked her out by calling her friends and neighbors. She continued to resist him but eventually grew at ease.

Duane Rieder, creator and executive director of the Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh, warned her that he was racing to have a family since he would die shortly. On November 14, 1964, they married in Carolina, just east of San Juan, where Roberto Clemente was born, in front of hundreds of people, including the governor and some of Clemente’s fellow baseball players. The Latin American player was slain only eight years later, and his wife took on the humanitarian role.

After the death of her husband?

Following her husband’s death, Ms. Clemente, who was 30 at the time, dedicated the remainder of her life honoring her husband’s memory and carrying on his humanitarian legacy.

In addition, Roberto Clemente had planned to construct a sports facility for youths in Puerto Rico, and Vera had expected to teach there when he died. She swiftly established the Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente (Roberto Clemente Sports City), which he had envisioned as a location where young people could learn new skills and prepare for international competitions. After being hospitalized in San Juan, she died on Saturday at 78.

On November 1, the Pirates reported that she was in severe condition and admitted her. Pirates and Major League Baseball announced her death as she was serving as a goodwill ambassador there.

Robert Clemente: Charity Works and Death

During the off-season, Clemente devoted his attention to philanthropic causes. When a major earthquake rocked Managua, Nicaragua’s capital city, on December 23, 1972, Clemente promptly hurried to help coordinate emergency aid planes. However, he swiftly discovered that dishonest Somoza government officials had redirected the relief shipments on the first three planes. The officials were not that trustworthy to approach earthquake victims. Thus, he volunteered to accompany the fourth relief aircraft in the hopes that his presence would ensure help and assistance to the survivors.

The Douglas DC-7 freight airplane he chartered for a New Year’s Eve flight had a history of technical troubles, was short on the flying crew (without a flight engineer and copilot), and was overweight by 4,200 pounds (1,900 kg) (1,900 kg). It plunged into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff on December 31, 1972, off Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, owing to engine failure.

Similarly, the pilot’s corpse and a chunk of the plane’s fuselage were discovered days after the catastrophe. The only personal item discovered from the jet was an empty travel case belonging to Clemente. Manny Sanguillén, Clemente’s teammate and close friend, was the only Pirates player who did not attend Roberto’s memorial ceremony.

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Hall of Fame

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America held an election for the Baseball Hall of Fame on March 20, 1973. Due to the circumstances of his death, they agreed to waive the waiting period for Clemente and posthumously elect him to the Hall of Fame, granting him 393 out of 420 votes, or 92.7 percent of the vote.

Robert Clemente Award

In order to honor his work and game, a special award has been established named Robert Clement Award after his name since 1973. Originally, it was popular as the Commissioner’s Award. The MLB committee gives out this honor to the player who can portray the game in the best way, both on and off the ground.