He didn't play baseball until he was 17 years old, and after he did turn pro with the old Brooklyn Dodgers, he was made available in the draft for a mere $4,000. Yet, until tragedy intervened, Roberto Clemente was the game's greatest right fielder for a period of 18 years, immensely gifted both as a batsman and fielder.

The Dodgers signed him in 1953 for a $10,000 bonus, but in what may have been the biggest mistake of their history, they tried to hide him in the minors while he developed.

The Pittsburgh Pirates recognized his ability, though, and he rewarded them with a career that led to the Hall of Fame. Following a moderate start, Clemente batted better than .300 in all but one of his final 13 years, winding up with a career batting average of .317. He hit 240 home runs and drove in 1,292 runs. Known as "The Great One" in his native Puerto Rico, Clemente won the National League batting championship four times, was chosen to the All- Star team 12 times and was honored as the Most Valuable Player in 1966.

Not by any means a one-dimensional player, Clemente had one of the finest throwing arms ever seen, was a smart runner, and for 12 consecutive years he was named to the NL Golden Glove All-Star fielding team. His greatest glory came in the 1971 World Series when he batted .414 and was voted the Series MVP as the Pirates beat Baltimore.

The following year, in his final regular season game, Clemente became the 11th player in major league history to achieve 3,000 career hits.

On New Year's Eve 1972, Clemente boarded a small plane in Puerto Rico, carrying supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. The plane crashed and Clemente died at the age of 38. Clemente often had protested that his talents were not fully appreciated, and well remembered is a remark he made following the 1971 World Series when he said, "I gave everything I had to this game."

ROBERTO CLEMENTE Born Aug. 18, 1934, Carolina, P.R. Died Dec. 31,1972

AWARDS AND RECORDS
MVP, NL, 1966
NL batting champion, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967

Photo: He died on a mission of mercy