<P> Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker ( Spanish pronunciation : ( roˈβeɾto enˈrike kleˈmente ( g ) walˈkeɾ ) ; August 18 , 1934 -- December 31 , 1972 ) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 , becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to be enshrined . His untimely death established the precedent that , as an alternative to the five - year retirement period , a player who has been deceased for at least six months is eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame . </P>
who was the first latin american baseball player voted into the baseball hall of fame
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker