Roberto Clemente Research Paper

The life of Roberto Clemente was one of greatness, not only because of his skills on the baseball field, but because of his contributions to the world as well. He started life from the bottom of the totem pole, but strived to improve not only his life, but the life of others. He wanted nothing more than to be equal, and too be seen as that, but not only did he have to fight through poverty, but through racism as well. Roberto may have been one of, maybe even the best player from the ‘60s, and what he did in his free time made him seem even better in the public eye.

Roberto Clemente was born August 18, 1934, in San Anton, Puerto Rico. He spent his childhood in the poverty stricken community of Carolina, Puerto Rico, where he played many sports,

like running track, throwing javelin, and playing baseball. At the age of fourteen, he played ball with grown men just for the love of the sport. Just after that season ended, Clemente was offered a spot to play in the Ameatur Baseball League. But it was until 1952 that he was offered a chance to play in the major league, though his mother wanted him to earn a degree in engineering, he decided that he would rather work doing the thing he loved.
Through out his career he did many things to gain the eye of the public. Whether it was because his skill on the field or because he was being bashed by the journalists just due to his race. But Clemente didn’t let it bother him, he was proud to be black and Puerto Rican. He did many things that would honor not only Puerto Rico, but all of Latin America. He held baseball camps for the youth of Puerto Rico in his free time, designed a sports park where anyone could go to get better, and he tried to aid the citizens of Nicaragua who suffered in an earthquake.
In late December of 1972, a major earthquake hit the capital of Nicaragua, leaving thousands dead or injured, and more without their homes. As soon as Clemente heard this devastating news he rushed to get aid supplies together for the people of Managua, especially since there was reason to believe other supplies hadn’t reached the citizens because it had gotten in corrupt hands. Once the supplies were gathered, no matter if it was New Year’s Eve or not, Clemente, unaware of his plane’s terrible condition, headed to Managua to do all he could for his fellow Latin Americans. Then the worst possible thing happened, the plane Clemente was riding, full of supplies for the victims, crashed only a mile from land, instantly killing all the passengers aboard. Roberto Clemente was only thirty-eight years old when he died, leaving a legacy behind, in both baseball and in life.
Roberto Clemente strove for a life full of baseball and used what little free time he had to those in need. Even after his death and even until now, many believe him to be a hero for everything he did for others and for what he did as a ball player. He may not have been the first person to reach a career number of 3,000 hits, but he was still the first Latin American to do so. But that’s not the only reason remember him so vividly or why they recognize him as the hero he truly was. Clemente changed so many lives in the short amount of time he could, that is why many picture him as a hero not because of what he did during baseball, but what he did off the field for people who needed aid.