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1934–1972 · Carolina · Baseball Legend

Born August 18, 1934 in Carolina. Although born in Carolina, Clemente is deeply tied to Bayamón through his humanitarian work and connection to the greater metro area. He was a baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972), he compiled a lifetime batting average of .317, hit 240 home runs and was considered baseball's premier defensive outfielder. Clemente won four National League batting titles (1961, 1964, 1965, 1966). He was the league's Most Valuable Player in 1966 and was selected to the All-Star team 12 times. He also won 12 Gold Glove awards as the NL's premier right fielder, and he was frequently cited by experts as having the best outfielder's throwing arm they had ever seen. After he obtained his 3,000th hit in the last game of the 1972 season. He became the first Latin American player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he remains a symbol of Puerto Rican pride. On December 31, 1972, Clemente's life was tragically cut short when an airplane loaded with supplies for earthquake victims in Managua, Nicaragua, crashed off the Puerto Rican coast. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973.