[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 118 (Thursday, September 28, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9479-S9480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 362--RECOGNIZING AND HONORING ROBERTO CLEMENTE AS A 
        GREAT HUMANITARIAN AND AN ATHLETE OF UNFANTHOMABLE SKILL

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

                              S. Res. 362

       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 of 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 Clement'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.

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, as the last baseball games are about to 
be played in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, a stadium referred to 
as the ``House that Clemente Build,'' I am reminded of Roberto 
Clemente, one of the greatest athletes and humanitarians of all time. 
Every baseball fan can recite Roberto's achievements during his 
professional career as a Pittsburgh Pirate--from hitting a remarkable 
.317 over 18 seasons and collecting 3,000 hits, to his 12 Gold Glove 
awards and 12 National League All Star Game appearances. However, it 
was his philanthropic gestures which truly represent Roberto Clemente's 
invaluable legacy.
  As many people know, Roberto Clemente died tragically on December 31, 
1972, after he and four others boarded a small DC-7 to deliver food, 
clothing and medicine to Nicaragua, to aid victims of a devastating 
earthquake. The four-engine plane, with a

[[Page S9480]]

questionable past and an overload of cargo, crashed into the Atlantic 
Ocean, killing all aboard. What is not well known is that, upon hearing 
rumors that Nicaraguan government officials were delaying the delivery 
of relief supplies, Roberto Clemente left his New Year's celebration 
with family and friends to travel to Nicaragua in order to personally 
oversee the delivery of the Puerto Rican relief supplies to the 
individuals devastated by the Managua earthquake. On that fateful New 
Year's Eve night in 1972, the world lost not just a great athlete, 
arguably the greatest in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but a 
humanitarian, a cultural icon, and a hero.
  Mr. President, over the years, Roberto Clemente's dedication to his 
fellow man became legendary. As one of the first Latin America baseball 
players in the Major Leagues, Roberto Clemente faced language barriers 
and racial segregation throughout his career. He worked tirelessly to 
improve professional baseball's understanding of the unique challenges 
faced by young Latin American ballplayers thrust into a new culture and 
language as they start their baseball careers.
  However, his concern for is fellow man did not stop at the foul 
lines. throughout his career, Roberto Clemente expressed his concern 
for the troubled lives faced by urban youth both in the United States 
and Puerto Rico. In a 1966 interview with Myron Cope for ``Sports 
Illustrated,'' Roberto Clemente discussed his desire to help youth by 
stoking their interest in sports. Roberto Clemente believed that sports 
could bring families together in an athletic setting while providing a 
stage for youngsters to excel. In what would be the final months of his 
life, Roberto Clemente conducted a series of baseball clinics for 
Puerto Rican youth in addition to fundraising efforts for a large 
sports facility dedicated to the youth of the world.
  Mr. President, Robert Clemente's humanitarian legacy continues to 
this day with the Roberto Clemente Sports City in Puerto Rico. 
Established March 18, 1973, when the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's 
government granted 304 acres of land for development, the Roberto 
Clemente Sports City commemorates Roberto Clemente's commitment of a 
better life for children through sports, education and community 
service by creating an environment for the development of the human 
spirit through sports, involving community, education and human rights. 
This sports facility provides high quality recreational and sports 
facilities for children, youth and the general public such as: 
baseball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming, track and field, 
batting cages, a golf range, tae kwon-do, camping and social and 
cultural activities. The Roberto Clemente Sports City provides Puerto 
Rico with learning and training facilities, to include tutoring, 
mentoring and professional development programs in sports and life.
  As eloquently stated by Bowie Kuhn in his 1973 eulogy to Clemente, 
``he made the world `superstar' seem inadequate. He had about him the 
touch of royalty.'' With all of this in mind, Mr. President, I ask my 
colleagues to support the resolution I am offering with Senator Specter 
which urges our fellow Americans to honor Roberto Clemente's legacy 
every day through humanitarian and philanthropic efforts towards their 
fellow man.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be printed 
in the Record, immediately following my statement.

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