When Roberto Clemente proved he was as good off the field as he was on it: "I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give"
On the baseball field, Roberto Clemente is one of the best baseball players of all time. He's a Hall of Famer, an MVP, a 15-time All-Star, two-time World Series MVP, a 12-time Gold Glover and a four-time batting title winner. He is an all-time player who has been remembered for his feats on the diamond well after his retirement and passing.
But it's what he did off the field that truly makes him memorable. 50 years ago on December 31, he tragically passed away in a plane crash while delivering aid to Nicarauga in the wake of an earthquake.
"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give."
~Roberto Clemente (who perished 50 years ago today when his plane crashed on its way to delivering aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims)
#21 was a ballplayer AND a humanitarian who gave all he had to give💔 https://t.co/LAtUKCymjP
He's quoted as saying:
"I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give."
The fact that that was his goal and the fact that he did so much for the community he was in and the world for so long proved that he did give all he had to give and became an icon on and off the field.
The MLB honors him by giving out an award to a player in his name every year. The winner is said to be one who:
"Best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."
Sportsmanship and community involvement became synonymous with the name Roberto Clemente, so the MLB named the award after him. It is arguably their highest off-the-field honor.
Roberto Clemente award winners in recent years
Roberto Clemente was perhaps better at serving his community than he was on the baseball field. That's saying a lot, as he was one of the best talents to ever set foot on the diamond.
The same might be said about these players, who have been the recent winners of his prestigious award:
- Justin Turner
- Nelson Cruz
- Adam Wainwright
- Carlos Carrasco
- Yadier Molina
- Anthony Rizzo
- Curtis Granderson
- Andrew McCutchen
- Paul Konerko
- Jimmy Rollins
- Carlos Beltran
- Clayton Kershaw
- David Ortiz
- Tim Wakefield
Many of these players were All-Stars, All-MLB players and even Hall of Famers. Their off-the-field contributions mattered more and arguably stood out more than anything they did while playing the game. That is exactly what Clemente stood for.