Roberto Clemente was one of baseball’s greatest stars: 3,000 hits, four batting titles, two World Series championships with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In December 1972 a massive earthquake devastated Managua, Nicaragua, and Clemente led the relief effort from Puerto Rico. When he heard that supplies were falling into the hands of profiteers, he decided to fly along himself to make sure the aid reached the people who needed it. On New Year’s Eve, the overloaded DC-7 crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff from San Juan. He was 38, and his body was never found. He could have stayed home and sent a check, but he chose to go.
