Roberto Clemente's 75th Birthday

Today is the birthday of Roberto Clemente, a National League baseball player who was born in Puerto Rico and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. His incredible talent and his passion for humanitarian concerns made him a well-loved figure both in the continental United States and in his birthplace.

Clemente was killed in a plane crash in 1972, while on a trip to deliver aid and supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. If he were still alive today, today would be his 75th birthday.

We have a couple of biographies of Roberto Clemente:

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss (2006)


Roberto Clemente: The Great One by Bruce Markusen (1998)


Also, if you visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame's website, you'll find some photos and articles about Clemente, along with statistics for his career in Major League Baseball.