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Born Aug. 18, 1934, Roberto Clemente would have turned 83 years old today if not for his untimely death on New Year’s Eve 1972 when the plane he was on crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
He is remembered for his extraordinary achievements on the field, which included batting .317, hitting 240 home runs, 1,305 RBIs, and 3,000 career hits over 18 seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Clemente became the first Latin American player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
He was also known for his off-field actions in a good way, donating much of his time to charitable events. In fact, his plane that ultimately crashed was en route to Nicaragua to deliver aid packages for earthquake victims.
With such a legacy, it’s not surprising his 1955 Topps rookie card has great value especially those graded highly.
It would be a great memento to have to acknowledge Clemente’s greatness.
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It was nice when baseball was such a big part of society. That was certainly the case in 1972. Even living more than 1000 miles from Pittsburgh, it was huge news when his plane went down.
Very true. Thanks for the comment!
If anyone ever has a chance to visit the Louisville Slugger Factory/Museum, then you will see that Clemente is prominently featured in the 1960-Present section. If I remember correctly, he is the centerpiece of the section that introduces that era.
Awesome. Thanks for the info!
great post thx for the info
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