Roberto Clemente Jr.
Roberto Clemente Zabala (born August 17, 1965), better known as Roberto Clemente Jr.,
Biography
Despite playing for the
In 1978, he was chosen to carry the torch and light the Pavilion for the Pan Am Games.[citation needed] Clemente excelled in sports at the junior high and high school levels. He was captain of the volleyball team and participated in track and field and basketball, and was offered a spot on a professional basketball team.[citation needed] After high school, Clemente moved to Bradenton, Florida to attend a community college.
In 1984, he was spotted by a Philadelphia Phillies scout, and signed by the organization,[6] joining their division-A team in 1985,[7] the same year in which he made his debut in the Puerto Rican winter baseball league, with the Arecibo Wolves. A series of injuries prevented Clemente from making it to the major leagues. After playing two seasons with the Phillies, he joined the San Diego Padres after Sandy Alomar Sr. arranged it with the organization in 1986,[8] but he had a knee injury during spring training and was not able to make the team.[citation needed] Clemente insisted on making the major leagues and after three knee surgeries in three years he traveled to Venezuela in 1989, where he homered on the first pitch thrown to him in over three years.[citation needed] He became a well-known player in Venezuela, but after signing a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles before the 1989 season, he suffered a career-ending injury to his back and had to retire from professional baseball.[citation needed]
Clemente returned to Puerto Rico and helped his mother make his father's dream a reality, the Roberto Clemente Sports City.
In 1997 Clemente accepted an offer to broadcast
In 2004, Clemente decided to complete his father's fatal trip with supplies. He joined forces with Project Club Clemente President Eliezer Rodriguez,[11] but the tsunami in southeast Asia forced them to reschedule after Clemente decided to send the aid to where it was needed.[citation needed] In 2005, Clemente hosted a Saturday afternoon show on WFAN in New York City called The Latin Beat. This was his first English-language radio job,[6] as he also became the first Latino host in the history of the station.[citation needed]
In 2013, Roberto became a member of the board for The National Hispanic Health Foundation because of his work in the forefront of new brain technology.[
References
- ^ "Roberto Clemente's Story". Roberto Clemente Foundation. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ WPXI.com (2 November 2019). "Vera Clemente, widow of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in 'delicate health'". WSBTV. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ "Clemente Jr. Still Dealing With Trauma Connected To Father's Death". 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ "'Grace, dignity and strength': Pittsburghers mourn death of Vera Clemente, widow of Pirates legend". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ Bernstein, Ralph (1984-03-15). "Clemente wants to make own name". Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b Coffey, Wayne (2005-04-10). "The Son Also Rises. Roberto Clemente Jr. talks about his trainer, new WFAN show & life without his father". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-08-12.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Roberto Clemente (minors)". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Young Clemente says he's giving up baseball". The Times-News. Associated Press. 1986-06-03. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ Smith, Claire (1994-01-10). "Baseball; Clemente's Oldest Son the Keeper of the Flame". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b Reisler, Jim (1998-07-19). "Clemente Baseball Tradition Carried On From Broadcast Booth". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Multi-Fiber Education on Roberto Clemente Bridge | Industrial Workers of the World". www.iww.org. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)