Clemente’s legacy continues with auction at All-Star Game

Pirates icon and Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente's presence will definitely be felt at the 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game festivities in Miami, Fla.

Hunt Auctions, based in Exton, Pa., will present the 13th annual live auction during events from July 10-11 at the All-Star FanFest, in Miami Beach Convention Center and Marlins Park.

There will be a total of 800 items up for auction — worth an estimated $5 million. Of those, more than 300 are from the late Pirates right fielder's personal collection — valued up to $1 million.

Memorabilia include his National League silver championship bats, 1960 and 1971 World Series rings, uniforms and Most Valuable Player and Gold Glove awards.

Even the 1971 limited edition Dodge Charger presented to him in honor of his 1971 World Series MVP will be available to the highest bidder.

"I learned to drive in that car," says Clemente's son, Roberto Clemente Jr.

"It holds a lot of memories for me and my family. All the items in the collection mean a lot to us, but we want to share with the fans who my father so much appreciated."

Clemente Jr. says his family has been asked to do this before but they felt the time is right this year.

It most likely will be a success, according to Hunt Auctions, which says the Clemente collection is one of the most significant player collections to have ever been offered at public auction. It has been consigned directly to the event by the Clemente family.

"I could not envision a more appropriate venue to share some of our family's memorabilia," says Clemente's widow, Vera, in a news release. "My husband Roberto participated in 15 midsummer classic games and enjoyed many fond memories during those games. He always appreciated his many fans in the various host cities throughout the years.

"The legacy that Roberto left with all of us is impossible to properly describe, but I truly believe his commitment to helping others has resonated with the game of baseball and become a guiding light for future generations of players. I have enjoyed a beautiful life that Roberto and the game of baseball have provided for our family, and we are very pleased to share some of our treasured memorabilia with the great fans of the game."

She says the family has attempted to carry forward Clemente's goal to help others, and they've continued that by their involvement with numerous programs and foundations to assist young people in need.

Part of the money raised will go to the family's foundation, as well as to assist with some other projects the Clemente family is involved in, Roberto Clemente Jr. says.

"We look forward to continuing that mission and sharing Roberto's message with a new generation of baseball fans," Vera Clemente says.

world series ring

Her husband played his entire 18-year career as a right fielder with the Pirates. His accolades rank among the most elite players in the history of the game collecting 3,000 career hits, .317 lifetime batting average, 12 Gold Glove awards, 15 National League All-Star team selections, two World Series championships, and the 1971 World Series MVP. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 and his number "21" was retired by the Pirates.

Off the field, he was dedicated to helping others. He died on Dec. 31, 1972 when the plane he was in enroute to assist victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

"We are very proud to have been selected to represent this exceptional private collection," says David Hunt, president Hunt Auctions, in a news release. "The quality of the materials with regard to condition grade and significance most certainly ranks among the finest of its type that we have handled in our 25-year company history."

Roberto Clemente stands as a pillar for all that is good within the game of baseball, his sons Roberto Jr., Luis and Ricky say. He was committed to standing up for equality and fair treatment for young people who endured the same challenges as he did during his youth, they say.

"We have been asked for many, many years to do this, but this is the right time," says Roberto Clemente Jr., who will be in Miami for the festivities. "The game is in Miami, and that's a market that makes a lot of sense to us. My father would always say the fans who buy the tickets spend their hard-earned money and we, as players, should play well for them. The fans remember that, and he is still respected and loved and admired today. His career was cut short and the way he died is something that has a mystical feel to it, it's a part of Pittsburgh and baseball history."

Baseball needs things like this, and we are happy to be able to do it, Roberto Clemente Jr. says. "There will never be another Roberto Clemente. We each kept a few personal items. After all these years people still talk about what he did on and off the field. There are some video clips, but having one of these items makes his presence felt that much deeper."

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-853-5062 or jharrop@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Jharrop_Trib.

Clemente Collection

The Clemente Collection will be offered during a live auction July 10-11. Highlight items include:

• National League Championship Silver Bat award

• 1967-68 Puerto Rican Baseball All-Star Team trophy

• Gold Glove award

• National Baseball Hall of Fame presentational plaque

• 1971 Limited Edition Dodge Charger, presented in honor of 1971 World Series Most Valuable Player

• 1960 and 1971 World Series rings

• 1960 World Series home uniform

The two-day auction also will include other items, including:

• Babe Ruth baseball bat autographed by Ruth and Lou Gehrig

• Joe DiMaggio professional model bat

• Jackie Robinson All-Star game professional model baseball bat

• Walter Johnson single signed baseball

• A collection of high-grade baseball trading cards.