[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 769 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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;
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;
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 first-ballot 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 Beisbol 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;
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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors Roberto Clemente for his excellence in both 
        sport and in citizenship on the 50th anniversary of his 3,000th 
        and final regular season hit; and
            (2) recognizes, during National Hispanic Heritage Month, 
        the lasting impact that Roberto Clemente has had on baseball 
        and the United States.
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