CLEMENTE, ROBERTO

born Aug. 18, 1934, Carolina, Puerto Rico died Dec. 31, 1972, San Juan byname Bob professional U.S. National League baseball player, who could hit almost every kind of pitch and whose powerful throwing arm as a right fielder helped tag many base runners. He was also a daring base runner and a team leader. Clemente was a softball player until he was 17, when he was signed by the Santurce Cangrejeros, with whom he played until 1953, when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in 1954, and he played his entire major-league career (195572) with them. He batted and threw right-handed. He batted more than .300 in 13 seasons (1956, 196067, and 196972) and led the league in hitting (1961, 196465, and 1967), his highest average being .357 (1967). During his career, he drove in 1,305 runs and scored 1,416. In two World Series (1960, 1971), he batted .362. He was killed in the crash of an airplane that was en route to Nicaragua with relief supplies he had collected for earthquake survivors. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.