Collectors of U.S. commemoratives typically consider the Jackie Robinson commemoratives of 1997 (a gold half eagle and a silver dollar) to be the first U.S. Mint commemoratives to honor an individual baseball player. In fact, the honor belongs to Roberto Walker Clemente. Clemente was posthumously honored with a national commemorative medal in 1973. 

Clemente, one of the game’s greatest all-around players, had a career with the Pittsburgh Pirates that featured a .317 lifetime batting average, four National League batting titles, twelve Golden Glove awards, and eleven All-Star game appearances. Clemente was equally well known for his off the field endeavors in which he devoted much of his time and money to helping those less fortunate. 

It was Clemente’s compassion for his fellow man that ultimately lead to his death. Roberto died in a plane crash in 1972 while on a mission of mercy to help the victims of a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua. Soon after his December 31st death, family, friends, and fans began an effort to honor and remember Clemente for his outstanding athletic and humanitarian contributions. President Richard M. Nixon signed into law authorization for the Clemente commemorative medals less than five months later on May 14, 1973. 

The obverse of the medal features a profile view of Clemente superimposed over the seams of a baseball, while the reverse features a group of baseballs symbolically crashing through a barrier representing the impact Clemente had on so many lives. Both large and small versions of the medal were produced by the Mint.