Honoring the athletic career and humanitarian and civic work of Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker, Sr., on the 50th anniversary of his 3,000th regular season hit.

Honoring the athletic career and humanitarian and civic work of Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker, Sr., on the 50th anniversary of his 3,000th regular season hit.

Whereas Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico;

Whereas Clemente played for numerous seasons in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League;

Whereas, in 1954, Clemente began playing in Minor League Baseball for the Montreal Royals, where he impressed many Major League Baseball scouts;

Whereas, on November 22, 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Clemente;

Whereas, in 18 seasons with the Pirates, Clemente became a decorated player who was recognized for his achievements as—

(1) a 15-time All-Star;

(2) a 12-time Gold Glove Award Winner;

(3) a 4-time National League Batting Champion;

(4) a 2-time World Series Champion;

(5) a 1-time National League MVP; and

(6) a 1-time World Series MVP;

Whereas Roberto Clemente ranks 33rd all-time in total hits;

Whereas, in addition to exhibiting excellence on the field, Clemente was a selfless and committed individual off the field;

Whereas Clemente joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1958, working his way up to private first class;

Whereas Clemente dedicated himself to humanitarian work;

Whereas Clemente delivered significant aid in the form of money, food, clothes, and medicine to communities across Latin America;

Whereas, beyond humanitarian work, Clemente shared his love of baseball, hosting free baseball clinics for underprivileged children in numerous communities;

Whereas, on September 30, 1972, for the 3,000th and final regular season hit of his illustrious career, Clemente hit a 4th-inning double against the New York Mets at the Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Whereas Clemente played right field in his 2,433rd game as a Pittsburgh Pirate, tying with all-time great Honus Wagner for most games played as a Pittsburgh Pirate;

Whereas, after the end of the 1972 season, Clemente flew to deliver humanitarian aid in the wake of a destructive earthquake near Managua, Nicaragua;

Whereas, on December 31, 1972, the aircraft carrying Clemente and the aid packages crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Isla Verde, Puerto Rico;

Whereas Clemente and the 4 others on board the plane did not survive the crash, which killed one of brightest stars in baseball;

Whereas, after the tragic and premature death of Clemente, in 1973 the Baseball Writer's Association of America waived the waiting period and elected Clemente as a first-ballot National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee with 92.7 percent of the vote;

Whereas, in 1973, the Pittsburgh Pirates retired uniform number 21, the number famously worn by Clemente;

Whereas, that same year, Major League Baseball renamed the Commissioner’s Award, given to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team”, as the “Roberto Clemente Award”;

Whereas Clemente, posthumously, has received the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom;

Whereas, in 2012, the Puerto Rican Baseball League honored Clemente by renaming itself the “Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente”;

Whereas the legacy of Roberto Clemente lives on today, especially his work to overcome the racial and linguistic barriers that plagued Major League Baseball;

Whereas Clemente serves as a role model for countless individuals, especially in the Latino community, due to his on-field excellence and commitment to humanitarian causes;

Whereas the impact of Clemente can be seen in the many parks, schools, and sports stadiums across the United States and Latin America that have been renamed to honor Roberto Clemente; and

Whereas September 15 through October 15, 2022, is National Hispanic Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved,