Google Doodle honors the late Roberto Clemente, who was a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, who was also known for his humanitarian work. The Puerto Rican baseball player died at age 38 in 1972 — raising curiosity about his cause of death.
How did Roberto Clemente die?
Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron after All-Star game on July 11, 1961. All had hits in the bottom of the 10th inning as NL won 5-4.https://t.co/e46YntQORm pic.twitter.com/Rde2U9rSd1
— The '60s at 60 (@the_60s_at_60) October 12, 2018
Roberto Clemente’s cause of death was a plane crash. The baseball legend was on a flight to Nicaragua when the plane crashed immediately after takeoff.
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake occurred two months after Clemente visited the nation. He was on route back to the country to deliver aid to people affected by the earthquake.
The Douglas DC-7 cargo plane reportedly had mechanical issues and was overloaded leading to an engine failure, which caused the crash.
Basketball legacy
He hit three triples in one game and has 12 Gold Gloves awards in a row. Clemente won the World Series championships and a World Series MVP award a year before his death.
google is celebrating roberto clemente today & i couldn’t be happier. here’s to the greatest ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3xfWtPsgWs
— reina (@reinagabriielle) October 12, 2018
Along with 15 All-Star games, the Puerto Rican legend was also the four-time NL batting champion and was the first Latino baseball player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Roberto’s wife and family
Roberto Clemente was married to Vera Zabala and the couple had three children including Roberto, Jr., who is a former Baseball player and broadcaster.
The Google Doodle remembers Robert Clemente for both his Hall of Fame baseball career and his humanitarian efforts.