[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 362 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
S. RES. 362

 Recognizing and honoring Roberto Clemente as a great humanitarian and 
                   an athlete of unfathomable skill.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 28 (legislative day, September 22), 2000

  Mr. Santorum (for himself and Mr. Specter) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing and honoring Roberto Clemente as a great humanitarian and 
                   an athlete of unfathomable skill.

Whereas Roberto Clemente's athletic legacy has been honored by the city of 
        Pittsburgh with a 14-foot bronze statue and the naming of a bridge over 
        the Allegheny River located just outside the centerfield gate of the new 
        baseball stadium in Pittsburgh;
Whereas Roberto Clemente led the Pittsburgh Pirates to World Championship titles 
        in 1960 and 1971, winning the Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1971 
        when he batted .414 with two home runs against Baltimore;
Whereas during his 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente 
        won four National League batting crowns, the 1966 National League Most 
        Valuable Player award, and ended his career with a .317 lifetime 
        average, 240 homers, and 1,305 runs batted in;
Whereas on September 30, 1972, Roberto Clemente became the 11th Major League 
        Baseball player to record 3,000 hits with a 4th inning double off New 
        York Mets left-hander Jon Matlack;
Whereas Roberto Clemente was one of the first Latin American baseball players in 
        the Major Leagues, and as such he faced language barriers and racial 
        segregation throughout his career;
Whereas Roberto Clemente worked tirelessly to improve professional baseball's 
        understanding of the unique challenges faced by young Latin American 
        baseball players thrust into a new culture and language;
Whereas in August of 1973, Roberto Clemente became just the second player to 
        have the mandatory five-year waiting period waived as he was inducted 
        posthumously into the National Baseball Hall of Fame;
Whereas in 1984, Roberto Clemente became the second baseball player to be 
        honored for his athletic and philanthropic achievements with an 
        appearance on a United States postage stamp;
Whereas Roberto Clemente devoted himself to improving the lives of inner city 
        youth in Puerto Rico and throughout the United States, putting into 
        action his belief that sport could be a stepping stone to a better life 
        for underprivileged youth;
Whereas Roberto Clemente tragically died in an airplane crash on December 31, 
        1972 as he accompanied relief supplies to Nicaragua to aid the victims 
        of the devastating 1972 Managua earthquake;
Whereas Roberto Clemente's humanitarian legacy continues to this day, embodied 
        by the Roberto Clemente Sports City in Puerto Rico, which creates an 
        environment for the development of the human spirit though sport, and 
        promotes community, education, and awareness of human rights: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) Roberto Clemente was a great humanitarian and an 
        athlete of unfathomable skill;
            (2) Roberto Clemente should be honored for his 
        contributions to the betterment of society; and,
            (3) all Americans should honor Roberto Clemente's legacy 
        every day through humanitarian and philanthropic efforts toward 
        their fellow man.
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