This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/4/2020
Starting his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955 at a yearly salary of $6,000, Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente's consistent greatness year in and year out would have him taking the field for $100,000 in 1970. Through all of his celebrity, newly-found wealth and admiration from the city of Pittsburgh as well as his Puerto Rican countryman, who shouted "Arriba" (hooray!) when he stepped to the plate, he never lost sight of his childhood struggles, working with several charities in the off-season to help those less fortunate. His complete body of work is very much in line with other Hall of Famers of his day; career .317 batting average, four-time National League batting champion (topping the .300 mark in a season 13 times) with 12 consecutive Gold Glove awards, a National League MVP award in 1966, two World Series Championships, a World Series MVP award in 1971 and 3,000 career hits. However, the word “complete” seems misleading as the Puerto Rican sensation’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 38, killed on New Year’s Eve of 1972 when his airplane carrying medical and food supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff. Having just completed a season where he batted .312 with 10 homers and 60 RBI in only 378 at-bats, Clemente was showing little sign of slowing down and could have met a happy retirement with a potential top-five ranking on the all-time hits list given four or five more seasons. Though he missed part of that final season due to injury, Roberto returned to notch his 3,000 hit on September 30th, the last regular-season at-bat of his career, immortalizing his legacy as forever the final member and gatekeeper of the 3,000 hit club. In 1972, Roberto was selected to play in the All-Star game for the 12th time and the offered ring was presented to Clemente by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for participating, the last award bestowed upon the Cooperstown great prior to his passing. "All-Star 1972" is engraved on the left side of the size 11 1/4 ring with the word "Baseball" and an MLB insignia on the right, a Claret Red Linde Star ruby set in the center. On the interior of the band is stamped "14K" and engraved "7-25-72 R. C.," matching other known 1972 MLB All-Star rings as having the date of the game and next to the player’s initials. A tremendous keepsake and a very important piece of baseball history, not only of a truly amazing baseball player but an even greater humanitarian and international ambassador of the sport of baseball. The only other player in the 1972 All Star Game with the initials R.C. was Rod Carew, who wore a size 10 ring, clearly inconsistent with this ring. Images of Luis Aparicio and Tony Kubek's 1972 All Star rings, which have previously sold at auction, are shown for comparison.