(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Video by MLB Film)
  Roberto Clemente remembered; Pittsburgh Pirates-star died 50 years ago
Nederlands
 SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico) -
Today, December 31, it's 50 years ago that the baseball-world lost one of its most beloved stars, as on this day in 1972, legendary Major League-outfielder Roberto Clemente and four others died in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico on their way to Nicaragua.
Clemente is honored each year at the site of the crash near San Juan.
This month, 50 years after his death, there have been several memorials in Puerto Rico to celebrate the legacy and the life of the star, who played in 18 seasons for Pittsburgh Pirates.
IN MEMORIAM
...Roberto Clemente...
(1934 - 1972) |
On December 23, 1972, shortly after midnight, the Central-American country was hit by a devastating earthquake with a 6,2 magnitude on the Richter Scale 28 km (17 miles) northeast of the city-center of capital Managua.
The earthquake lasted almost two hours and destroyed most of the city.
Within an hour of the main shock, two strong aftershocks followed.
The earthquake caused a lot of widespread damage, resulting in 10.000 casualties, 20.000 injuries and over 250.000 were left homeless.
In the Summer of 1972, the national baseball-team of Nicaragua participated in the Haarlem Baseball Week to prepare for the World Championship, which was held in Managua later in the year.
One of the pitchers on the Nicaraguan squad then was future Major League-pitcher Dennis Martínez.
Many of the players who were in Haarlem also played fot the national team of Nicaragua in the World Championship, that took place in October.
During that Championship, Roberto Clemente was in Nicaragua as one of the coaches of the national team of Puerto Rico.
Nicaragua finished in third place, Puerto Rico was sixth.
Nicaragua accepted aid from several countries.
Puerto Rican-born Major League-star Roberto Clemente (nicknamed 'The Great One') organised a series of relief flights to help the earthquake victims.
However, there were reports that the aid was not distributed well and didn't reach the victims.
Reacting to these reports, Clemente decided to personally accompany the fourth of the relief flights, which left Puerto Rico for Nicaragua on New Year's Eve.
But shortly after taking off from the international airport in Puerto Rican capital San Juan, the Douglas DC-7 plane crashed into the sea off the coast of Isla Verde.
Clemente and four others died.
Only the body of the pilot was found.
The only personal item recovered was a flight case apparently belonging to Clemente.
When a memorial service was held for Clemente shortly after the crash, all players of the Pittsburgh Pirates-team attended.
Except catcher Manny Sanguillén, who opted to dive into the sea in an effort to find the body of his close friend.
Roberto Clemente Walker was born on August 18, 1934 and was only 38 when he died.
He made his professional debut in 1952 at age 18 playing for Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, which is a winter league.
Clemente signed a contract in February 1954 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but never played for this team in the Major League.
He played for the Dodgers in the Minor League
On November 22, 1954, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and there he played his entire 18-year Major League-career.
He made his big league-debut in 1955, playing in 124 games, hitting .255 with 48 runs scored, five homeruns and 47 RBI's.
In his 18 Major League-seasons with the Pirates, the outfielder played in 2,433 games, hitting .317.
He scored 1,416 runs, batted in 1,305 and hit 240 homeruns.
In the final game of the 1972 season, on September 30, in a game at home in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh against New York Mets and in his last at bat in the regular season, Clemente hit a double off of Jon Matlack to register his 3,000th career basehit.
Clemente became the eleventh player to reach this milestone.
The rightfielder was also known for his great defensive plays.
In 1966, Clemente was named Most Valuable Player of the National League.
He played in 15 All Star Games, received 12 Gold Glove Awards (tying outfielder Willie Mays) and was the Best Hitter in the National League four times.
Clemente won the World Series with Pittsburgh in 1960 and 1971 and was the Series MVP in 1971.
Clemente is the only player in history to have hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam (July 25, 1956).
...Roberto Clemente remembered by Major League Baseball...
(© Video: MLB Film) |
Part of the rightfield (Clemente's position) wall in PNC Park, since 2001 the home-stadium of the Pirates, is 21 feet (6.4 m) high, referring to Clemente's uniform number 21, which was retired at the start of the 1973 season.
Also, a statue of Clemente stands in front of the stadium.
The (yellow) bridge that is visible behind right/centerfield of PNC Park crossing the Allegheny River is named Roberto Clemente Bridge.
In Puerto Rico, the coliseum in San Juan was named Roberto Clemente Coliseum.
In his birthplace Carolina, the Roberto Clemente Sports Complex is situated.
Off the field, Roberto Clemente was involved in a lot of charity work in Puerto Rico, but also in other Latin American countries.
On March 20, 1973, Clemente was elected posthumously into the Hall of Fame to become the first Latin American player to be elected.
Clemente is one of only two players to have been elected for whom the mandatory five-year waiting period had been waived.
In December 1939, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees was the first.
On June 21 of that year, Gehrig (nicknamed 'Iron Horse'), who had played in 2,130 consecutive games, retired after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Since then, the disease is also known as 'Lou Gehrig's disease'.
July 4 of 1939 was proclaimed Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day and it was on that day that the first baseman held his famous and emotional farewell speech in which he stated that he 'considered himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth, having been in ballparks for seventeen years and never received anything but kindness and encouragement from the fans'.
The Yankees retired his uniform number 4, making Gehrig the first player in history to be honored that way.
In December, Gehrig was elected into the Hall of Fame in a special election.
Gehrig died on June 2, 1941, 17 days before his 38th birthday.
The life and career of Gehrig is depicted in the 1942 movie 'The Pride of the Yankees' with Gary Cooper playing the part of Gehrig.
Cooper was nominated for an Oscar.
It was one of eleven nominations for an Academy Award, but the beatiful and emotional movie only won an Oscar for Best Editing.
In 1973, the Commissioner's Award was renamed Roberto Clemente Award.
The award is given annually since 1971 to a Major League-player for sportsmanship, community involvement and his individual contribution to his team, voted by fans and members of the media.
Since 2002, Roberto Clemente is honored annually in the Major League with Roberto Clemente Day on September 15.
In 2012, the professional Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (founded in 1938) honored Roberto Clemente by adding his name.
Since then, it is known as the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente and has his uniform number 21 in its logo.
(December 31)
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