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Pittsburgh Pirates icon Roberto Clemente to be honored by Smithsonian

By Alex Butler
Pittsburgh Pirates fans look at the engravings at the Roberto Clemente statue next to the center field gate at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
Pittsburgh Pirates fans look at the engravings at the Roberto Clemente statue next to the center field gate at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- A photo of baseball legend and Pittsburgh's own Roberto Clemente will grace the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian announced.

Clemente, who tallied 3,000 hits in his 18-year career, was the first Latino to win a World Series as a starting player, the first to win a Most Valuable Player Award and the first to win a World Series MVP. He was a 12-time All-Star.

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Clemente came out on top of the Smithsonian's contest between him, Babe Ruth and Sandy Koufax, for the honor, announced Tuesday. His portrait will be part of the gallery for its "Recognize" series. Charles "Teenie" Harris took the photograph.

For the contest, the public decided whose portrait should be displayed as an "influencer of American history and culture," NBC News reported.

Clemente was born in Puerto Rico. He died in a 1972 plane crash.

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