[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 149 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S4644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Toomey) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 769

       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 Leagues 
     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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