PITTSBURGH, July 8 -- A statue honoring the late Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente was unveiled and dedicated Friday outside Three Rivers Stadium. Clemente's widow, Vera, and their three sons were on hand for the ceremony outside the stadium's Gate A. Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pirates from 1955-1972.
He batted .317 with 3,000 hits, 240 home runs and 1,416 RBI. Clemente won 12 Gold Glove Awards, four National League batting titles and played on two World Series championship teams in 1960 and 1971. Clemente died in a New Year's Eve plane crash in 1972 while accompanying relief supplies from his native Puerto Rico to Nicaragua, which had been struck by an earthquake. Clemente was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1973. Clemente's 12-foot bronze statue was sculpted by Susan Wagner. It cost about $200,000, all of which came from donations. The unveiling of Clemente's statue began five days of activities associated with the 1994 All-Star game, which will be played at Three Rivers Stadium Tuesday night.
