III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 769 

Honoring the athletic career and humanitarian and civic work of Roberto 

Enrique Clemente Walker, Sr., on the 50th anniversary of his 3,000th 

regular season hit. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. TOOMEY) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the athletic career and humanitarian and civic 

work of Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker, Sr., on the 

50th anniversary of his 3,000th regular season hit. 

Whereas Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934, in 

Carolina, Puerto Rico; 

Whereas Clemente played for numerous seasons in the Puerto 

Rican Professional Baseball League; 

Whereas, in 1954, Clemente began playing in Minor League 

Baseball for the Montreal Royals, where he impressed 

many Major League Baseball scouts; 

Whereas, on November 22, 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates 

drafted Clemente; 


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•SRES 769 IS 

Whereas, in 18 seasons with the Pirates, Clemente became a 

decorated player who was recognized for his achievements 

as— 

(1) a 15-time All-Star; 

(2) a 12-time Gold Glove Award Winner; 

(3) a 4-time National League Batting Champion; 

(4) a 2-time World Series Champion; 

(5) a 1-time National League MVP; and 

(6) a 1-time World Series MVP; 

Whereas Roberto Clemente ranks 33rd all-time in total hits; 

Whereas, in addition to exhibiting excellence on the field, 

Clemente was a selfless and committed individual off the 

field; 

Whereas Clemente joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1958, 

working his way up to private first class; 

Whereas Clemente dedicated himself to humanitarian work; 

Whereas Clemente delivered significant aid in the form of 

money, food, clothes, and medicine to communities across 

Latin America; 

Whereas, beyond humanitarian work, Clemente shared his 

love of baseball, hosting free baseball clinics for underprivileged children in numerous communities; 

Whereas, on September 30, 1972, for the 3,000th and final 

regular season hit of his illustrious career, Clemente hit 

a 4th-inning double against the New York Mets at the 

Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 

Whereas Clemente played right field in his 2,433rd game as 

a Pittsburgh Pirate, tying with all-time great Honus 

Wagner for most games played as a Pittsburgh Pirate; 


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•SRES 769 IS 

Whereas, after the end of the 1972 season, Clemente flew to 

deliver humanitarian aid in the wake of a destructive 

earthquake near Managua, Nicaragua; 

Whereas, on December 31, 1972, the aircraft carrying 

Clemente and the aid packages crashed into the Atlantic 

Ocean near Isla Verde, Puerto Rico; 

Whereas Clemente and the 4 others on board the plane did 

not survive the crash, which killed one of brightest stars 

in baseball; 

Whereas, after the tragic and premature death of Clemente, 

in 1973 the Baseball Writer’s Association of America 

waived the waiting period and elected Clemente as a firstballot National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductee with 92.7 percent of the vote; 

Whereas, in 1973, the Pittsburgh Pirates retired uniform 

number 21, the number famously worn by Clemente; 

Whereas, that same year, Major League Baseball renamed 

the Commissioner’s Award, given to the player who ‘‘best 

exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his 

team’’, as the ‘‘Roberto Clemente Award’’; 

Whereas Clemente, posthumously, has received the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and 

the Presidential Medal of Freedom; 

Whereas, in 2012, the Puerto Rican Baseball League honored 

Clemente by renaming itself the ‘‘Liga de Be ́isbol 

Profesional Roberto Clemente’’; 

Whereas the legacy of Roberto Clemente lives on today, especially his work to overcome the racial and linguistic barriers that plagued Major League Baseball; 


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•SRES 769 IS 

Whereas Clemente serves as a role model for countless individuals, especially in the Latino community, due to his 

on-field excellence and commitment to humanitarian 

causes; 

Whereas the impact of Clemente can be seen in the many 

parks, schools, and sports stadiums across the United 

States and Latin America that have been renamed to 

honor Roberto Clemente; and 

Whereas September 15 through October 15, 2022, is National Hispanic Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors Roberto Clemente for his excellence 

3 in both sport and in citizenship on the 50th anniver4 sary of his 3,000th and final regular season hit; and 

5 (2) recognizes, during National Hispanic Herit6 age Month, the lasting impact that Roberto 

7 Clemente has had on baseball and the United States. 

Æ 


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