[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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