Clemente’s 3,000th hit, known as his final MLB hit, is preserved in Deseret News archives | Sports

A glance again at native, nationwide and world occasions by means of Deseret News archives.For basebal

For baseball followers, Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th profession hit — on this present day in 1972, the final sport of the season — was a poignant one certainly.

On Sept. 30, 1972, Clemente and the defending world champion Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Clemente, a tremendous star from Carolina, Puerto Rico, was hitting a formidable .311 heading into the season finale. He additionally sat at 2,999 profession hits. At the time, solely 10 different gamers had joined the three,000-hit membership, and solely three — Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Stan Musial — had carried out so in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Historians say Clemente, apart from being a world-renowned humanitarian, now had an opportunity to be the primary Latin American ballplayer to succeed in 3,000 hits.

On Sept. 30, he hit a double in the fourth inning off eventual Rookie of the Year Jon Matlack to get his 3,000th hit. Though Clemente and the Pirates made the playoffs, Major League Baseball doesn't depend postseason statistics towards a participant’s profession totals.

Three months later, on Dec. 31, the 38-year-old chartered a aircraft from his native Puerto Rico to personally ship provides to the victims of an earthquake that struck close to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, on Dec. 23.

The plane crashed in the ocean shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of everybody on board.

Clemente was additionally a 15-time All-Star, a four-time National League batting champion, a two-time World Series champion and the 1971 World Series MVP. In 1973, Clemente was posthumously inducted, turning into the primary participant from the Caribbean and Latin America to be honored in the Hall of Fame.

Clemente is a hero in his nation, and rightly so. Also, yearly, the Roberto Clemente Award is given to the participant who greatest exemplifies the sport of baseball each on and off the sphere.

Here are some tales from Deseret News archives about Clemente:

“All-Star game glory will belong to Roberto Clemente once again”

“Clemente legend looms over games”

“Puerto Rico honors Clemente with holiday”

“Pirate debate: Clemente or Barry Bonds?”

“Rose Jr., Clemente Jr. form bond to help each other rise in baseball”

“Essence of Clemente’s bravery captured in new children’s book”