Roberto Clemente, Jr., or in the Spanish naming system Roberto Clemente Zabala was born on August 17, 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico and is the oldest of three sons fathered by Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente, the first Latin American player to record 3,000 hits and enter the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

On December 31, 1972, Roberto Clemente was killed in a tragic plane crash while taking humanitarian aid to Nicaragua earthquake victims from his native island of Puerto Rico. While baseball brought Clemente notoriety, it was his dedication to civil rights and helping those less fortunate that drove his spirit.

Early Years
Immediately following his father’s death, Roberto Jr. became the spokesman for the family and at the tender age of seven. Alongside his mother Vera, Roberto Jr. traveled the world attending hundreds of fund raisers, charity events and dedications with his mother Vera honoring his father.

The Athlete
As he grew older, Roberto Jr. excelled in sports at the junior high and high school levels, captaining the volleyball team and participating in track and field, basketball as well as baseball.

Roberto Jr. moved to Bradenton, Florida from Puerto Rico after graduating high school to attend college. In 1984, he was discovered by a Philadelphia Phillies scout and signed by the organization. He would play for teams in Phillies, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles organizations before a series of injuries forced him to retire in 1989.

The Humanitarian
After his professional baseball career was over, Roberto Jr. returned to Puerto Rico to help his mother in her quest to open the Roberto Clemente Sports City and in 1992 founded the Reviving Baseball in the Inner-Cities (RBI) program, aimed at helping at-risk youth through the sport in San Juan. In addition to RBI, Roberto Jr. also established the Roberto Clemente Foundation benefiting children in the Pittsburgh community.

Today, Clemente continues to work for a number of organizations including Make a Wish Foundation, American Heart Association, St. Jude Children's Research Center, School for the Blind, Beating the Odds Foundation, Quarterbacks of life, Juvenile Diabetes, American Kids Cancer Fund and the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Broadcaster
In 1996, Roberto Jr. launched his broadcasting career covering the New York Yankees for the MSG Network, Telemundo and Radio WADO-AM. From 1996 to 2007, Clemente Jr.’s broadcast resume includes hosting Major League Baseball's Spanish version of MLB's network television show, Baseball Max, serving as a baseball correspondent for ESPN Deportes Radio, being named the first Latin talk show personality in the 20-year history of WFAN-AM (NY) and hosting the Clemente Bridge on WPGB-FM in Pittsburgh.

The Commissioner
Since 2006, Roberto Jr. has served as honorary Commissioner of New York
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s annual T-Ball Tournament at Gracie Mansion and in 2008, served in a similar capacity for President George W Bush at a White House T-Ball event.

As part of his duties as Commissioner, Clemente speaks to children about the importance of education, community service and staying away from drugs.

###

Site Map