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Roberto Clemente award statue
Roberto Clemente, the great Puerto Rican Hall of Fame star baseball, who is known for his athletic work, is honored with a Google Doodle that celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
The Google Doodle, which was created by guest artist Roxie Vizcarra, calls Roberto Clemente to "Latinx trailblazer, and passionate humanitarian." The Google Doodle ran on October 12, 2018, which was the anniversary of a Pittsburgh Pirates victory led by Clemente.
"The baseball writer Roger Angell once said of Clemente," he played a kind of baseball that none of us had ever seen before. However, the baseball great left behind a legacy both on and off the field.
"Baseball Survivors," Columnist Jimmy Cannon wrote, "Because guys like it's still playing it." Clemente's famed Google: "Our Dad was an incredible athlete, but more importantly, he continually used his platform to better humanity."
Here's what you need to know:
1. Roberto Clemente Was Born to a Sugar Cane Worker & Laundress & His Athletic Talents Were Noticed at a Young Age
Roberto Clemente Google Doodle
Clemente's path to baseball legend started in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where he was born to a sugar cane worker on August 18, 1934, according to Google. His full name was Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker, and he spent his childhood in Barrio San Antón. Baseball had been popular in Puerto Rico since the 1800s.
His parents were Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker of Clemente. His father's oversaw sugar cane cutters and his mother was a laundress, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.
By 16, he was already playing baseball with the Puerto Rican amateur league, Google says. Two years later, was playing professional baseball, in 1952, at age 16. His career began in 1952, when the 18-year-old signed with the Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers), a team in Puerto Rico's Baseball League. His next step, Google recounted, was with the minor league affiliate in Montreal for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
"His first beat was in a game-winning home run on July 25, 1954," the Google notes with the Google Doodle says.
Clemente easily became an "idol" in his native Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, he did face some discrimination in the United States when his baseball career took off. According to Brittanica, the media would try to call him by the anglicized "Bob," but he would insist on being called Roberto, never giving up his pride in his heritage. He was once quoted as saying, "I do not believe in color," according to NBC News.
2. Roberto Clemente Broke Many Records During His Career & Could Throw 'as Well as Any Man Who Ever Lived'
Fans look over Roberto Clemente memorabilia during opening day of Fan Fest for the Major League Baseball 2006 All-Star game at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center July 7, 2006 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Clemente had many athletic talents, but his strong throwing arm was at the top of that list. He was also a great hitter. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, he played with "reckless but controlled abandonment" that electrified fans.
Roberto Clemente spent his career with The Pittsburgh Pirates. The 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, 4 National League batting titles, 3,000 career hits, the 1966 National League MVP Award, 2 World Series rings, and the 1971 World MVP Award Series. "
On October 12, 1971, the Doodle ran in 2018, Clemente "led the Pittsburgh Pirates to victory against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 3 of the series," said Google.
According to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth revealed: "Well, I said to myself, there's a boy who can not do it. It could not be better than that, and nobody could better than that. "
He was the 11th player in baseball history to score 3,000 hits, according to the Hall of Fame.
3. Clemente Was a Humanitarian Who Wanted His Voice 'To Be Heard'
Roberto Clemente's legacy extends off the baseball field too. Google calls him "one of the most humanitarian athletes to play the game."
Among other things, it is known as "providing food and supplies for those in need, holding baseball clinics for kids," or "making donations," and "showing a special interest in youth".
Clemente was married to wife Vera Cristina Zabala. His son, Roberto Clemente Jr., told NBC News of his dad: "He actually knew that he had gotten to a place that was going to be heard; he was an activist. He was someone who cared for his fellow men, and was able to be heard very much. "
Vera and Roberto Clemente had three sounds together.
4. Roberto Clemente Died in a Crane Plane While on Humanitarian Mission
Tragically, Clemente was only 38-years-old when he died in a plane crash. The date was Dec. 31, 1972, and he was trying to help people affected by an earthquake in Nicaragua.
According to Google, the plane crashed because it was overloaded with supplies.
Clemente was also a veteran; he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
5. Roberto Clemente Is a Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and His Family Recalls How He Galvanized the Hearts of All Hispanics
Clemente is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be honored, according to Google. His name is stamped on an award given to baseball players who help their communities too.
He is also a recipient of "Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Roberto Clemente Walker Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Citizens Medal," Google reports. The professional baseball league of Puerto Rico bears his name.
Clemente's family – including Roberto Clemente Jr. and Luis Clemente – shared their thoughts on the release of the Google Doodle. Here is their statement:
47 years ago today, the Pittsburgh Pirates won game 3 of the 1971 World Series in which we won for the RBI in the Pirates 5-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles. He was named the MVP for that series, becoming the first Latino to ever do so.
At the conclusion of the Series, he asked for something in Spanish to his parents and children in Puerto Rico. With this act, asking for his parents in Spanish on live global broadcast, he galvanized the hearts of all Hispanics across the nation. Today, we are proud of our position as the baseball leagues, parks, schools, awards, and statues around the world, and we are represented here for the time being, standing up against injustice and the importance of humanitarianism. Our Dad was an incredible athlete, but more importantly, he is constantly using his platform to better humanity.
The Roberto Clemente Foundation years ago, a nonprofit organization incorporated in Puerto Rico. Specifically, our mission to develop tomorrow's leaders through education, sports and service leadership to continue its vision as we build nations of good.
It is amazing to see a kid from Carolina, Puerto Rico be remembered with this Doodle in this age of technology and new platforms to communicate with people around the world. The best part, however, is the human story of Dad Behind It, which we hope motivates us all to do to help our brothers and sisters.
We feel very honored to be Roberto's sounds and extremely fortunate to be Vera's sounds as well. It is an honor to carry the name Clemente!
Correction: The date of Clemente's death was corrected in this story.
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