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Lot # 882: Gorgeous Roberto Clemente Single-Signed Baseball PSA NM-MT 8 Autograph

Starting Bid: $5,000.00

Bids: 19 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Fall Classic 2022",
which ran from 11/20/2022 7:00 PM to
12/10/2022 10:00 PM



The great Roberto Clemente, a Puerto Rican, was the first Caribbean and the first Latin American baseball player to be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame when he was posthumously inducted in 1973. The right fielder played his entire 18-year Major League career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Presented is a Clemente single-signed, and inscribed, Wilson baseball. Clemente was the best defensive National League right-fielder of his era and won 12 Gold Gloves, tied with Willie Mays for the most Gold Gloves won by an outfielder. At the plate, he reached exactly 3,000 hits at the end of the 1972 season and then tragically died on Dec. 31, 1972, when he was aboard an airplane that he had chartered to bring relief supplies to victims of a hurricane in Nicaragua, and the airplane crashed shortly after take-off. Clemente had a lifetime average of .317, and he collected four batting titles. He was essentially a line drive hitter who hit 240 home runs. His throwing arm was exceptionally powerful, and announcer Vin Scully said of Roberto's arm, "Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw a guy out in Pennsylvania." Clemente's all-around skills helped him to become a 15-time All-Star. The Wilson baseball is Model A1010, in excellent condition. Imprinted on the ball is "Official Approved Major League Specifications." Clemente signed and inscribed the ball in beautiful, bold script on the sweet spot in blue ink from a ballpoint pen. The signature has been graded NM-MT 8 by PSA. Clemente's inscription is in Spanish and is written as "carinosamente," which in Spanish means "affectionately." Clemente was a superb player who was a dedicated humanitarian who lost his life trying to save others. As Clemente ironically had said, "Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and don't, then you are wasting your time on earth." The baseball comes with both a PSA and JSA Letter of Authenticity for the signature and inscription. 

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