BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-PUERTO RICAN " ROBERTO CLEMENTE " BASE BALL PLAYER WHO PLAYED MINOR LEAGUE BEFORE JOINING THE MAJOR LEAGUE : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                            BLACK                 SOCIAL              HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Born Roberto Clemente Walker on August 18, 1934, Clemente played with the Brooklyn Dodgers' minor league team before making his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. He led the National League in batting four times during the 1960s, and played in the 1971 World Series. He died in a plane crash to deliver goods to Nicaragua in 1972.

Baseball Career

Baseball player Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The son of a sugarcane worker, Roberto Clemente began his professional baseball career just after finishing high school. He signed a deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played with their minor league team, the Montreal Royals, for a season. The next year he went to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his major league debut in 1955.

Clemente hit his stride as an outfielder and batter in the 1960s. He led the National League in batting four times during this time. Clemente also played in the 1971 World Series. He became the first Hispanic player to reach 3,000 hits, including 240 home runs.

Reputation and Death

Off the field, Clemente was described as a quiet gentleman. He was proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and stood up for minority rights. Clemente married Vera Zabala in 1963, and they had three sons. He died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972, on his way to bring much needed supplies to survivors of an earthquake in Nicaragua. The next year he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.