People in the United States love baseball. The best baseball players are stars. Great players are heroes. They are given a place in the baseball Hall of Fame. Roberto Clemente is in the Baseball Hall of Farm. He belongs there. For eight years in a row his batting average was over 300. He was batting champion four times. He was named most valuable player in 1966. He won the 1971 World Series for his team. His average in that series was 414. But to many people Roberto was a hero not just for his baseball playing, but for his life. He spent it helping others and he died helping others. He was born in Puerto Rico in 1934. His family was large. His parents worked hard to give their children the things they needed. He began to play baseball when he was young. He was so good that he was a star at the age of seventeen. At nineteen he joined a team in the United States. The next year he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and played in that team for eighteen years. Roberto took pride in his career. He was not easy to give up. He went on with the game and played his best even when he was hurt and was in pain. He was proud of his game. He used to say: "For me, I am the best baseball player in the world." He meant that he believed in himself. Roberto loved to help others. He found many ways to help people, both in the United States and in Puerto Rico. Later in 1972 there was an earthquake in Nicaragua. Many people were killed and a lot more were hurt. Many were homeless and hungry. Food and clothing were badly needed. Of course Roberto was one of the first to help. He formed a group to get the things that were needed. He was on the plane that was going to deliver them. The plane crashed in the sea near Puerto Rico. Roberto was killed, but his life still shines like a light in people's hearts. What kind of person can Roberto Clemente be described as?
A man with a strong will. A great man with a simple heart. A proud and kind man. A successful man with a kind heart.