This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/24/2014
The late, great Roberto Clemente was a legendary right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972. In 18 seasons with the Bucs, Clemente collected an even 3,000 hits and had a career batting average of .317. He also earned 12 Gold Gloves for his flawless fielding in right field. This is a pair of Clemente’s game-worn Pittsburgh Pirates stirrups that he used during the early ‘70s. Both stirrups, made of a Durene-type material, include a very distinct albeit faded "21" in black marker (signifying his uniform number) that's identical to the 21's commonly found on each of Clemente's authentic game-used equipment pieces. In 1972, at age 38, Clemente died prematurely in a plane crash at sea on New Year’s Eve while en route to delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. A two-time World Series champion (1960 and ’71), Clemente was a first-ballot Hall of Famer the year after he perished. The Baseball Writer’s Association of American voted to waive the mandatory waiting period for Clemente due to the circumstances surrounding his death.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the Helms Athletic Foundation/LA84 Collection.