History of Roberto Clemente in Timeline
Roberto Clemente was a celebrated Puerto Rican baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 seasons. Known for his exceptional fielding and hitting, he won 12 Gold Glove Awards and was a 15-time All-Star. Tragically, he died in a plane crash in December 1972 while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. His humanitarian efforts and extraordinary baseball career led to his posthumous induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, making him the first Caribbean and second Latin American player to receive this honor. Clemente is remembered as a baseball icon and a symbol of compassion and social responsibility.
1900: Modern Major League history start
Since 1900, no other baseball player has hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam except for Roberto Clemente.
August 18, 1934: Roberto Clemente Born
On August 18, 1934, Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was born in Puerto Rico. He would become a professional baseball player.
1948: Pirates last winning season
1948 was the last winning season for the Pittsburg Pirates before 1958.
October 9, 1952: Signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce
On October 9, 1952, at the age of 18, Roberto Clemente signed a contract with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.
February 19, 1954: Clemente Signed with Brooklyn Dodgers
On February 19, 1954, Roberto Clemente signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers for $15,000.
June 1, 1954: Observed by Pirates scout
On June 1, 1954, Roberto Clemente was spotted by Pittsburgh Pirates scout Clyde Sukeforth during a scouting trip.
July 25, 1954: First North American Home Run
On July 25, 1954, Roberto Clemente hit his first home run in North American baseball during his first at-bat as a defensive replacement.
November 22, 1954: Selected in Rule 5 Draft
On November 22, 1954, Roberto Clemente was the first selection by the Pirates in the Rule 5 draft.
1954: Auto accident
In 1954, Roberto Clemente suffered a back injury due to an auto accident, which was later relieved by Marine Corps training.
1954: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
In 1954, after being signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and sent to the minor leagues, Roberto Clemente was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 17, 1955: MLB Debut with the Pirates
On April 17, 1955, Roberto Clemente made his Major League Baseball debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
July 25, 1956: Inside-the-Park Grand Slam
On July 25, 1956, Roberto Clemente hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam at Forbes Field, becoming the first player in modern MLB history to achieve this.
September 1958: Joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve
In September 1958, Roberto Clemente joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve and served his active duty commitment.
1958: Pirates Winning Season
In 1958, the Pirates had their first winning season since 1948.
1959: Above .300 every year
Beginning in 1959, Roberto Clemente hit above .300 every season except for one.
1959: Marine Corps Reserve Duty
In 1959, Clemente was fulfilling his Marine Corps Reserve duty, with a Pennsylvania senator requesting his early release for spring training.
1959: All-Star Roster
In 1960, Roberto Clemente earned his first spot on the NL All-Star roster as a reserve player after having a stellar season.
May 1960: NL Player of the Month
In May 1960, Clemente was named NL Player of the Month Award.
1960: Last Pirate Player from 1960 World Series
In 1960, Clemente, along with Bill Mazeroski, were the last Pirate players remaining from the 1960 World Series championship team.
1960: Player of the Month and World Series Champion
In 1960, Roberto Clemente was selected as the National League's Player of the Month for May and helped the Pirates win the World Series.
1960: World Series Champion
In 1960, Roberto Clemente won his first World Series championship. He was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to win as a starting position player.
1961: Received by thousands in Puerto Rico
Following the 1961 season, Roberto Clemente traveled to Puerto Rico with Orlando Cepeda and were received by 18,000 people.
1961: First NL Batting Leader Title
In 1961, Roberto Clemente became the National League batting leader, showcasing his hitting prowess.
1961: All-Star and Gold Glove Season
In 1961, Roberto Clemente started in the All-Star game, contributing to a come-from-behind victory and also received his first Gold Glove Award.
1961: Gold Glove Winner
Starting in 1961, Roberto Clemente won the Gold Glove award for each of his final 12 seasons.
1962: All-Star Games
From 1959 through 1962, two all-star games were held each season.
September 1964: End of Marine Corps Reserve duty
In September 1964, Roberto Clemente finished his duty in Marine Corps Reserve.
November 14, 1964: Marriage to Vera Zabala
On November 14, 1964, Clemente married Vera Zabala at San Fernando Church in Carolina.
1964: Second NL Batting Leader Title
In 1964, Roberto Clemente was again the National League batting leader, demonstrating his consistent performance.
1964: NL Batting Title
In 1964, Roberto Clemente won the NL Batting title for the second time.
1965: Birth of Roberto Clemente Jr.
In 1965, Roberto Clemente Jr. was born.
1965: Third NL Batting Leader Title
In 1965, Roberto Clemente continued his hitting success by securing his third title as the National League batting leader.
1965: Injury and All-Star Selection
In 1965, Roberto Clemente experienced a thigh injury during winter league play, impacting his early season performance. Later on July 15, he participated as a pinch hitter during the All-Star Game.
1965: NL Batting Title
In 1965, Roberto Clemente won the NL Batting title for the third time.
1966: Birth of Luis Roberto
In 1966, Luis Roberto Clemente was born.
May 1967: NL Player of the Month
In May 1967, Clemente was named NL Player of the Month Award.
1967: Fourth NL Batting Leader Title
In 1967, Roberto Clemente was awarded his fourth title as National League batting leader.
1967: NL Batting Title
In 1967, Roberto Clemente won the NL Batting title for the fourth time, registered a career-high .357 batting average, hit 23 home runs, and batted in 110 runs.
1968: Only Season Below .300
In 1968, Roberto Clemente had the only season after 1959 in which he failed to hit above .300.
July 1969: NL Player of the Month
In July 1969, Clemente was named NL Player of the Month Award.
1969: Birth of Roberto Enrique
In 1969, Roberto Enrique Clemente was born.
1969: "Bob" Clemente
Until 1969, Roberto Clemente's baseball cards listed him as "Bob Clemente", a practice that he disliked.
June 28, 1970: Final Game at Forbes Field
On June 28, 1970, the Pirates played their final game at Forbes Field, which was an emotional moment for Roberto Clemente.
July 24, 1970: "Roberto Clemente Night"
On July 24, 1970, "Roberto Clemente Night" was celebrated at Three Rivers Stadium with Puerto Rican fans and charitable donations.
July 1971: Clemente Discusses His Future
In July 1971, during the All-Star Game activities, broadcaster Richie Ashburn asked Clemente when he would get his 3,000th career hit. Clemente responded that only God knows how long he will live, and that he never knows what can happen tomorrow.
October 11, 1972: Clemente's Last Game
On October 11, 1972, Clemente played his last game at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium in the fifth and final game of the 1972 NLCS. Clemente had his final hit (single) in the 1st inning; his final plate appearance was an intentional walk in the 8th inning. The Reds won the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.
December 1972: Plane crash for Nicaragua earthquake relief
In December 1972, Roberto Clemente died in the crash of a plane he chartered to deliver relief goods to earthquake survivors in Nicaragua.
1972: Played Winter Ball
In 1972, Roberto Clemente played professionally for Cangrejeros de Santurce in Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico during off-season.
1972: Death delivering aid to earthquake victims
In 1972, Roberto Clemente tragically died in a plane crash while delivering aid to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake.
1972: Gold Glove Award
In 1972, Roberto Clemente won a Gold Glove Award for the 12th consecutive season.
December 31, 1972: Roberto Clemente's Death
On December 31, 1972, Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This tragic event cut short his illustrious career and life.
March 20, 1973: Hall of Fame Election
On March 20, 1973, the Baseball Writers' Association of America held a special election for the Baseball Hall of Fame and posthumously elected Clemente, waiving the waiting period, with 92.7% of the votes.
April 6, 1973: Number Retired
On April 6, 1973, Clemente's number 21 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1973: Roberto Clemente Award
In 1973, Major League Baseball renamed the Commissioner's Award to the Roberto Clemente Award, awarded annually to a player with outstanding baseball skills and community involvement.
1973: Presidential Citizens Medal and Congressional Gold Medal
In 1973, President Richard Nixon posthumously honored Clemente with the Presidential Citizens Medal, and Congress honored him with the Congressional Gold Medal.
1973: Posthumous Induction into Hall of Fame
In 1973, Roberto Clemente was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first Caribbean player to be inducted.
1973: Coliseo Roberto Clemente Opened
In 1973, the Coliseo Roberto Clemente opened in San Juan.
1974: Roberto Clemente State Park
In 1974, the Harlem River State Park in Morris Heights, The Bronx, New York City, was renamed Roberto Clemente State Park.
August 17, 1984: Roberto Clemente Postal Stamp
On August 17, 1984, the United States Postal Service issued a Roberto Clemente postal stamp.
1994: Statue at Three Rivers Stadium
In 1994, the Pirates erected a statue in memory of Clemente at Three Rivers Stadium.
1997: Jackie Robinson's Number Retired
In 1997, Jackie Robinson's number 42 was retired league-wide.
1999: The Sporting News List
In 1999, Clemente was ranked number 20 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.
2000: Estadio Roberto Clemente Opened
In 2000, Estadio Roberto Clemente opened in Carolina.
2001: Statue Moved to PNC Park
In 2001, the Clemente statue was moved to PNC Park when it opened.
2002: Roberto Clemente Day
In 2002, 30 years after his death, Major League Baseball proclaimed September 15 as "Roberto Clemente Day".
2002: ESPN Documentary
In 2002, for the ESPN documentary series SportsCentury, Clemente's widow Vera mentioned that Clemente had told her that he thought he was going to die young several times.
2003: United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame
In 2003, Clemente was also inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.
2003: Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2003, President George W. Bush awarded Clemente the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
2005: Latino Legends Team
In 2005, Clemente was named to Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.
2007: All Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team
In 2007, Clemente was selected for the All Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team for the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Gold Glove Award.
2010: Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame
In 2010, Clemente was elected to the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.
2012: Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League Renamed
In 2012, the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League (LBPPR) was renamed Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente and the number 21 was also permanently retired.
2013: Statue Unveiled at Park
In 2013, forty years after his election to the Hall of Fame, a statue was unveiled at Roberto Clemente State Park. It was the first statue honoring a Puerto Rican to be unveiled in New York City.
2015: Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame
In 2015, Clemente was elected to the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame.
November 16, 2019: Death of Vera Clemente
On November 16, 2019, Vera Clemente died, aged 78.
2020: The Athletic's "Baseball 100" List
In 2020, The Athletic ranked Clemente at number 40 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter Joe Posnanski.
2022: National Hero Recognition
In 2022, the government of Puerto Rico granted Clemente the formal recognition of prócer (national hero).
