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'''Roberto Clemente''' was one of the greatest [[baseball]] players ever, particularly as an all-round player.  He had a hit in every World Series game, was the 11th player to reach 3,000 hits overall, had the highest batting average of anyone in the 1960s, and had perhaps the finest arm of any outfielder ever.  He won a record 12 Golden Gloves.

'''Roberto Clemente''' was one of the greatest [[baseball]] players ever, particularly as an all-round player.  He had a hit in every World Series game, was the 11th player to reach 3,000 hits overall, had the highest batting average of anyone in the 1960s, and had perhaps the finest arm of any outfielder ever.  He won a record 12 Golden Gloves.

A devout [[Christian]] who was outspoken about his [[faith]] in [[God]], Clemente's career was tragically cut short when his relief plane crashed on a mercy mission to [[Nicaragua]] after a devastating [[earthquake]] there on December 31, 1972.  In a much-watched interview of him on the field when asked about when he thought he would get his 3,000th hit, he said that you never know what will happen tomorrow because that is up to [[God]].

A devout [[Christian]] who was outspoken about his [[faith]] in [[God]], Clemente's career was tragically cut short when his relief plane crashed on a mercy mission to [[Nicaragua]] after a devastating [[earthquake]] there on December 31, 1972 (he was traveling there due to political theft of relief supplies; it was believed that Clemente's presence would stop the thefts from occurring).  In a much-watched interview of him on the field when asked about when he thought he would get his 3,000th hit, he said that you never know what will happen tomorrow because that is up to [[God]].

Clemente was so revered that he was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame at the first available time, contrary to the traditional five-year waiting period.

Clemente was so revered that Major League Baseball waived the required five-year waiting period for baseball Hall of Fame induction in his case; he was inducted at the next voting session.<ref>Clemente is the only player for which the waiting period was waived.  It is erroneously claimed that this was also done for Lou Gehrig, but at the time of Gehrig's induction there was no waiting period; in his case the baseball writers held a special election to induct him due to his ALS.<\ref>

Major League Baseball has honored him on Roberto Clemente Day every Sept. 9 since 2002.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mlb-s-pirates-will-honor-roberto-clemente-wearing-his-number-n1239238</ref>

Major League Baseball has honored him on Roberto Clemente Day every Sept. 9 since 2002.<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mlb-s-pirates-will-honor-roberto-clemente-wearing-his-number-n1239238</ref>