Roberto Clemente – Google praise baseball legend for Hispanic Heritage Month

Roberto Clemente – Google changed its Doodle on Friday to recognize a well-known face for baseball fans. Pittsburgh Pirates’ legend is being highlighted for Hispanic Heritage Month. Roberto Clemente, born in Puerto Rico, is cherished both as a Hall of Fame baseball player and a generous.

Clemente was the first Latin American athlete to be cherished in baseball’s Hall of Fame. He has died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve in 1972 when his age was 38. Clemente was on his plan to give relief packs in Nicaragua, where thousands of people die due to an earthquake.

Clemente was the 15-time All-Star winner, a 12-time Gold Glove winner, 2-time World Series winner and the World Series MVP in 1971. He also won the MVP in 1966. He concluded his career with precisely 3,000 hits and an absurd line of .317/.359/.475. After his death, the Hall of Fame ignored its five-year waiting period for athletes in March 1973 and enlisted Clemente. The Pirates resigned Clemente’s No. 21 in 1973.

And now, he’s a Google Doodle, too.

Clemente’s 12 Gold Gloves are matched for the most by an outfielder with Willie Mays. According to CNET, he has the only credited walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in the history of MLB. Clemente represented at least 100 matches in every term of his 18-year MLB career. Though Clemente was not the first savage of Puerto Rico to perform in the majors (13 years before Clemente began his career, Hiram Bithorn played in 1942), he was arguably the most prominent.

But as effective as he was on the field, he was even exceptional off it. Clemente gave his life to helping others, using his winters to respond to Puerto Rico and countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America to give food, supplies, and baseball equipment. He got fellow Latinx players under his division in the majors. He hugged his status as a role model in the community where he grew up.

Clemente was an indisputable icon who expanding borders could not hold. Friday’s Doodle just provides us all another opportunity to recognize the man. Whose importance as a human shined whether he was wandering the grass at Forbes Field (and later the relentless turf of Three Rivers Stadium) or committing his time to help others.

His life came to the end, but his legacy never will. Artist Roxie Vizcarra’s work demonstrates his vision and talent to strengthen people is ever-present. She joined with Clemente’s persisting family, especially Roberto Clemente Jr. and Luis Clemente, to craft a loving praise. His sons, and the rest of the Clemente family, delivered a statement praising the man whose love spread beyond the park.