Roberto Walker Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico on April 18, 1934. He played 18 seasons in the Major Leagues, from 1955 to 1972, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-handed-hitting Clemente won the NL MVP Award in 1966, was a 12-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award-winner, and led the league in batting average four times. In addition, he played on two World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates' ball clubs and was MVP of the 1971 World Series, leading the Bucs to victory over the favored Baltimore Orioles. In the decisive Game 7 of that series, he made numerous defensive gems and hit a game-breaking home run, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Pirates.

He is remembered for playing through numerous ailments, using his famous basket catches to make acrobatic defensive gems, and being able to throw out would-be baserunners at will with his accurate and strong throwing arm. In addition, he is fondly remembered for his arm-flaying, all-out running style, for never taking a pitch he didn't like, and for his charity work off of the field. His larger than life statue is one of three famous Pirates' statues, along with Honus Wagner's and Willie Stargell's, which grace the outside of Pittsburgh's beautiful PNC Park.

Clemente was indeed a great humanitarian, beloved throughout his native Puerto Rico and Latin America for his charity work. He perished in a plane crash while carrying supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua on December 31, 1972; his body was never recovered. He was just 38 years old at the time of his death, and his last regular season hit prior to the accident was a double, which gave him 3,000 hits for his illustrious career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973, becoming the first Latin American player to be selected, and the only current Hall of Famer for who the mandatory five-year waiting period was waived since the five-year waiting period was instituted in 1954. His number 21 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and there is a move on across baseball to have his number permanently retired by all clubs, just like former Dodgers' great Jackie Robinson. "The Great One" was a true hero on and off of the field, and his legacy lives on through the baseball academy that he founded in his native Puerto Rico. ###