Roberto Clemente was born on Saturday, August 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Clemente was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 17, 1955, with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Roberto Clemente baseball stats page.
"Roberto's two-out home run in the fourth inning of the deciding seventh game gave the Pirates their 2-1 win. In the heat of that series, Roberto said, 'I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give.' Although this was Roberto's second World Series win with the Pirates (the first was in 1960), in 1971 he definitely led the show. An international audience finally saw what Pittsburgh fans had seen from The Great One for nearly two decades." - Roberts, Jerry. Author. Roberto Clemente: Baseball Player. Checkmark Books. 1 November 2005. Page 5. [Roberto Clemente Quotes]
Roberto ClementeRoberto 'Arriba' Clemente Autograph on a 1959 Topps Baseball Card (#478 | Checklist) |
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Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
- | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1955 | 21 | Pirates | 124 | 474 | 48 | 121 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 18 | 3 | 60 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 14 | .255 | .284 | .382 |
1956 | 22 | Pirates | 147 | 543 | 66 | 169 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 60 | 13 | 2 | 58 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 14 | .311 | .330 | .431 |
1957 | 23 | Pirates | 111 | 451 | 42 | 114 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 23 | 1 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | .253 | .288 | .348 |
1958 | 24 | Pirates | 140 | 519 | 69 | 150 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 50 | 31 | 1 | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | .289 | .327 | .408 |
1959 | 25 | Pirates | 105 | 432 | 60 | 128 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 15 | 2 | 51 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | .296 | .322 | .396 |
1960 | 26 | Pirates | 144 | 570 | 89 | 179 | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 94 | 39 | 4 | 72 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 21 | .314 | .357 | .458 |
1961 | 27 | Pirates | 146 | 572 | 100 | 201 | 30 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 89 | 35 | 10 | 59 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 18 | .351 | .390 | .559 |
1962 | 28 | Pirates | 144 | 538 | 95 | 168 | 28 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 74 | 35 | 9 | 73 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 18 | .312 | .352 | .454 |
1963 | 29 | Pirates | 152 | 600 | 77 | 192 | 23 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 76 | 31 | 6 | 64 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 24 | .320 | .356 | .470 |
1964 | 30 | Pirates | 155 | 622 | 95 | 211 | 40 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 87 | 51 | 16 | 87 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | .339 | .388 | .484 |
1965 | 31 | Pirates | 152 | 589 | 91 | 194 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 65 | 43 | 14 | 78 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17 | .329 | .378 | .463 |
1966 | 32 | Pirates | 154 | 638 | 105 | 202 | 31 | 11 | 29 | 0 | 119 | 46 | 13 | 109 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 14 | .317 | .360 | .536 |
1967 | 33 | Pirates | 147 | 585 | 103 | 209 | 26 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 110 | 41 | 17 | 103 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | .357 | .400 | .554 |
1968 | 34 | Pirates | 132 | 502 | 74 | 146 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 57 | 51 | 27 | 77 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | .291 | .355 | .482 |
1969 | 35 | Pirates | 138 | 507 | 87 | 175 | 20 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 91 | 56 | 16 | 73 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 19 | .345 | .411 | .544 |
1970 | 36 | Pirates | 108 | 412 | 65 | 145 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 60 | 38 | 14 | 66 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | .352 | .407 | .556 |
1971 | 37 | Pirates | 132 | 522 | 82 | 178 | 29 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 86 | 26 | 5 | 65 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 19 | .341 | .370 | .502 |
1972 | 38 | Pirates | 102 | 378 | 68 | 118 | 19 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 60 | 29 | 7 | 49 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | .312 | .356 | .479 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
18 Years | 2,433 | 9,454 | 1,416 | 3,000 | 440 | 166 | 240 | 7 | 1,305 | 621 | 167 | 1,230 | 36 | 66 | 35 | 275 | .317 | .359 | .475 |
Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1955 Pirates | CF | 10 | 7 | 201 | 20 | 2.0 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.69 |
1955 Pirates | RF | 112 | 100 | 2,694 | 254 | 2.3 | 248 | 230 | 18 | 6 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 2.49 |
1956 Pirates | 2B | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .667 | 4.50 |
1956 Pirates | 3B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .667 | 9.00 |
1956 Pirates | CF | 23 | 18 | 498 | 55 | 2.4 | 52 | 51 | 1 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .945 | 2.82 |
1956 Pirates | LF | 24 | 17 | 474 | 41 | 1.7 | 37 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .902 | 2.11 |
1956 Pirates | RF | 102 | 95 | 2,517 | 213 | 2.1 | 207 | 192 | 15 | 6 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 2.22 |
1957 Pirates | CF | 14 | 11 | 306 | 32 | 2.3 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .969 | 2.74 |
1957 Pirates | RF | 97 | 96 | 2,529 | 255 | 2.6 | 250 | 243 | 7 | 5 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .980 | 2.67 |
1958 Pirates | RF | 135 | 129 | 3,452 | 339 | 2.5 | 333 | 309 | 24 | 6 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 2.60 |
1959 Pirates | RF | 104 | 102 | 2,700 | 252 | 2.4 | 239 | 228 | 11 | 13 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .948 | 2.39 |
1960 Pirates | RF | 142 | 140 | 3,767 | 278 | 2.0 | 270 | 252 | 18 | 8 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .971 | 1.94 |
1961 Pirates | CF | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 7.20 |
1961 Pirates | RF | 144 | 142 | 405 | 285 | 2.0 | 276 | 250 | 26 | 9 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .968 | 18.40 |
1962 Pirates | RF | 142 | 138 | 3,686 | 298 | 2.1 | 290 | 270 | 20 | 8 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 2.12 |
1963 Pirates | CF | 8 | 8 | 213 | 15 | 1.9 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .933 | 1.77 |
1963 Pirates | RF | 143 | 140 | 3,729 | 247 | 1.7 | 237 | 225 | 12 | 10 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .960 | 1.72 |
1964 Pirates | RF | 154 | 154 | 4,085 | 305 | 2.0 | 295 | 282 | 13 | 10 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .967 | 1.95 |
1965 Pirates | CF | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.80 |
1965 Pirates | RF | 145 | 143 | 3,792 | 306 | 2.1 | 296 | 280 | 16 | 10 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .967 | 2.11 |
1966 Pirates | CF | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.13 |
1966 Pirates | RF | 154 | 152 | 4,119 | 347 | 2.3 | 335 | 318 | 17 | 12 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .965 | 2.20 |
1967 Pirates | CF | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.50 |
1967 Pirates | RF | 144 | 141 | 3,744 | 298 | 2.1 | 289 | 272 | 17 | 9 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .970 | 2.08 |
1968 Pirates | RF | 131 | 128 | 3,479 | 311 | 2.4 | 306 | 297 | 9 | 5 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 2.37 |
1969 Pirates | RF | 135 | 128 | 3,372 | 230 | 1.7 | 225 | 199 | 26 | 5 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .978 | 1.80 |
1970 Pirates | RF | 104 | 102 | 2,704 | 206 | 2.0 | 199 | 188 | 11 | 7 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 1.99 |
1971 Pirates | RF | 124 | 120 | 3,244 | 282 | 2.3 | 280 | 269 | 11 | 2 | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .993 | 2.33 |
1972 Pirates | RF | 94 | 88 | 2,437 | 204 | 2.2 | 204 | 199 | 5 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.26 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
RF Totals | 2,306 | 2,238 | 56,455 | 4,910 | 2.1 | 4,779 | 4,503 | 276 | 131 | 37 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 2.29 | |
CF Totals | 63 | 45 | 1,278 | 129 | 2.0 | 124 | 120 | 4 | 5 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .961 | 2.62 | |
LF Totals | 24 | 17 | 474 | 41 | 1.7 | 37 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .902 | 2.11 | |
2B Totals | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .667 | 4.50 | |
3B Totals | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .667 | 9.00 | |
18 Years | 2,396 | 2,300 | 58,225 | 5,086 | 2.1 | 4,944 | 4,660 | 284 | 142 | 40 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 2.29 |
Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1955 Pirates | 2 | 5 | .286 | 11 | 1 | n/a | 94.8 | 7.9 | 10.1 | - | - | - |
1956 Pirates | 6 | 6 | .500 | 11 | 1 | n/a | 77.6 | 9.4 | 9.1 | - | - | - |
1957 Pirates | 0 | 4 | .000 | 3 | 0 | n/a | 112.8 | 10.0 | 15.0 | - | - | - |
1958 Pirates | 8 | 2 | .800 | 6 | 1 | n/a | 86.5 | 12.7 | 10.4 | - | - | - |
1959 Pirates | 2 | 3 | .400 | 0 | 2 | n/a | 108.0 | 8.5 | 8.6 | - | - | - |
1960 Pirates | 4 | 5 | .444 | 4 | 0 | n/a | 35.6 | 7.9 | 6.1 | - | - | - |
1961 Pirates | 4 | 1 | .800 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 24.9 | 9.7 | 6.4 | - | - | - |
1962 Pirates | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2 | 1 | n/a | 53.8 | 7.4 | 7.3 | - | - | - |
1963 Pirates | 12 | 2 | .857 | 3 | 1 | n/a | 35.3 | 9.4 | 7.9 | - | - | - |
1964 Pirates | 5 | 2 | .714 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 51.8 | 7.1 | 7.1 | - | - | - |
1965 Pirates | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | 9 | 0 | n/a | 58.9 | 7.6 | 9.1 | - | - | - |
1966 Pirates | 7 | 5 | .583 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 22.0 | 5.9 | 5.4 | - | - | - |
1967 Pirates | 9 | 1 | .900 | 5 | 0 | n/a | 25.4 | 5.7 | 5.3 | - | - | - |
1968 Pirates | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 27.9 | 6.5 | 8.8 | - | - | - |
1969 Pirates | 4 | 1 | .800 | 6 | 0 | n/a | 26.7 | 6.9 | 5.6 | - | - | - |
1970 Pirates | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 1 | n/a | 29.4 | 6.2 | 6.9 | - | - | - |
1971 Pirates | 1 | 2 | .333 | 10 | 0 | n/a | 40.2 | 8.0 | 6.1 | - | - | - |
1972 Pirates | 0 | 0 | .000 | 10 | 0 | n/a | 37.8 | 7.7 | 6.3 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
18 Years | 83 | 46 | .643 | 90 | 8 | n/a | 39.4 | 7.7 | 7.2 | - | - | - |
Roberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1955 Pittsburgh Pirates | 13, 21 | $6,000.00 | - | - |
1956 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $7,500.00 | - | - |
1957 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $15,000.00 | - | - |
1958 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $20,000.00 | - | - |
1959 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $17,500.00 | - | - |
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $17,500.00 | Stats | Stats |
1961 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $17,500.00 | Stats | - |
1962 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $26,000.00 | Stats | - |
1963 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $26,000.00 | Stats | - |
1964 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $26,000.00 | Stats | - |
1965 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $34,000.00 | Stats | - |
1966 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $40,000.00 | Stats | - |
1967 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $40,000.00 | Stats | - |
1968 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $45,000.00 | - | - |
1969 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $45,000.00 | Stats | - |
1970 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $100,000.00 | Stats | - |
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $125,000.00 | Stats | Stats |
1972 Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | $150,000.00 | Stats | - |
Roberto Clemente Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Roberto Clemente was a Major League Baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972). However, there is so much more about this legendary ballplayer than that alone. The Commissioner's Award was designed by Major League Baseball to honor a single player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team. In 1973, two years after the Commissioner's Award was first given, it was rightfully renamed after Roberto Clemente following his death in a plane crash while delivering supplies to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake. Join Baseball Almanac as we look just a little beyond the stats:
Roberto Clemente Rookie Card | 1955 Topps Baseball Card (#163 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
0 - Roberto Clemente never once led National League right fielders in fielding percentage, but what Tim McCarver said, "some right fielders have rifles for arms, but he had a howitzer" about Clemente was beyond true. The Hall of Fame (link) commented, "He was equally brilliant in right field, where he displayed a precise and powerful arm" and his plaque at Cooperstown includes, "rifle-armed defensive star". Clemente did, however, play 2,306 games in right field (the most ever in history), led the league in putouts by a right fielder twice (1958 & 1961, finishing in the top ten 14 more times), double plays by a right fielder three times (1955, 1961 & 1967, finishing in the top ten 9 more times) and assists by a right fielder five times (1958, 1960, 1961, 1966 & 1967, finishing in the top ten six more times).
1 - Roberto Clemente was inducted posthumously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Latin American to be enshrined. Clemente is also the first Latin player to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award (1966) and the first to win the World Series Most Valuable Player Award (1971).
Roberto Clemente | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1973 (HOF)
4 - Roberto Clemente won the National League batting championship four times (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967), the second most by a Pittsburgh Pirate, trailing only Honus Wagner. In 1967, he registered a career high .357 batting average to go with his 23 home runs and 110 runs batted in. During the entire decade of the 1960s, Arriba batted over .300 every year except 1968, when he "only" hit .291.
11 - Roberto Clemente hit a double off Jon Matlack of the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium on September 30, 1972, becoming only the eleventh player in Major League history (at the time) to enter the 3,000 Hits Club.
12 - Roberto Clemente won twelve Gold Glove Awards in the outfield, all consecutively (1961 through 1972), tying him with Willie Mays for the most in history by any outfielder from any league.
15 - Roberto Clemente was a fifteen-time All-Star (1960–1967, 1969–1972), who played in fourteen of them, started seven of them, and his career All-Star Game batting average is .323.
20 - Roberto Clemente was ranked twentieth overall by The Sporting News when they released their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in the history of baseball.
21 - Roberto Clemente wore #21 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and on April 6, 1973, the number was retired forever by the team.
Roberto Clemente MLB Player Questionnaire | William J. Weiss | 2 September 1954Baseball Almanac Research Library
The following poem was written by Juan A. Pérez in memory of Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder from 1955 to 1972 born in Carolina, Puerto Rico who died on New Year's Eve at the early age of 38 while in a mission to help the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua:
The Game's True Leaders
He played the game
of childhood dreams
with humble grace
of mountain streams.
He learned so early
through his time
the selfless purpose
of his life.
His human pride,
his elegance,
not in a hundred
years surpassed.
From far away
gave us a gift,
too valuable
to leave adrift.
Some saw the game
as being the end
he knew the end
and played, he played!
When in the face
of human pain
some wasted time,
he ran and helped.
For all who saw
and didn't know
they were in front
of royal grace,
a modest place
where rivers wed
saved us a wall
of right field fence.
On holidays
of cheer and joy
when smiles abound
for girl and boy,
there is a town
down by the sea
where grown men cry
on new year's eve.
Remind me game
of boyhood dreams
that men of grace
knew how to play.
The game's true leaders
learn early in time
the selfless purpose
of their lives.
Roberto Clemente Plane Crash | The Danville Register (Danville, VA) | January 2, 1973 | Page 6ABaseball Almanac Research Library
The death of Roberto Clemente: The Great One spent countless hours during the off-season involved in charity work around the world. When Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, was affected by a massive earthquake on Saturday, December 23, 1972, Clemente (who had been visiting Managua three weeks before the earthquake) immediately set to work arranging emergency relief flights full of supplies. Clemente soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government. Clemente decided to accompany the fourth relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors. The airplane he chartered for a New Year's Eve flight, a Douglas DC-7, had a history of mechanical problems and it was overloaded by approximately 4,000 pounds. The DC-7 crashed into the ocean off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on Sunday December 31, 1972. A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case apparently belonging to Clemente was the only personal item recovered from the plane.