1959-64 Roberto Clemente Game Worn San Juan Senadores Uniform -- Photo Matched!...

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The first Puerto Rican Hall of Famer represents his home island!

1959-64 Roberto Clemente Game Worn San Juan Senadores Uniform -- Photo Matched! Though Roberto Clemente remains one of the most celebrated figures in the storied history of Pittsburgh sports, his legacy borders upon the sacred on his home island of Puerto Rico, where he was born in 1934 as the youngest of seven siblings. A hardscrabble existence harvesting sugar cane beside his father and brothers strengthened his young body, and inter-barrio games honed his baseball skills. In the winter, he'd spend every available moment in the grandstands watching the professionals, dreaming he might one day reach the same heights as stars like Monte Irvin and Josh Gibson who barnstormed the baseball-mad landscape. Of course, Clemente would exceed even the wildest dreams of his youth, winning four Major League batting titles, two World Championships, twelve Gold Gloves and a National League MVP.

Despite this massive success on the mainland, Clemente remained ever faithful to his Caribbean home, sacrificing the leisurely winter vacations enjoyed by most Big Leaguers to showcase his skills for his fellow boricuas. Presented is a home white pinstriped uniform worn as a representative of the San Juan Senadores for some period (likely multiple seasons) between 1959 and 1964. We should note that the Senadores won the Puerto Rican League Championship in the first and last seasons of that span.

A study of uniform styles utilized by that team provides the listed date range, and the expert photo matching work of Sports Investors Authentication located two images of Clemente donning this jersey, visible at our online listing. We should note that the "Senadores" navy-on-blue felt script spanning the chest is a replacement made with vintage material--like the Majors, the Puerto Rican league often recycled uniforms for secondary wear--but the all-important "21" on verso is original to Clemente's usage. The team logo patch on the sleeve is slightly moved from its original position. "Clemente" is embroidered directly into lower left front tail. There is no manufacturer's labeling.

Matching pants are constructed with the same pinstriped flannel and two-tone soutache, with a size "32" label and "Clemente" embroidered felt swatch at interior waistband. Both jersey and pants plentiful game wear but none of the staining or moth damage common to wool garments of such advanced age. A heavily-worn "New Era" brand cap is the correct model to match the uniform, but it belonged to a different player whose name is written under the visor--it appears to be "F. Sanvedra."

While any artifact touched by the hands of baseball's noblest martyr carries supreme significance and desirability, a uniform worn in Puerto Rican Winter League competition by that island's greatest athletic hero is particularly dazzling. Will the people of Puerto Rico rally to bring this back home, decades after hobby pioneer Josh Evans located it, or will it remain stateside where Clemente's greatest glories were realized? Photo match LOA from Sports Investors Authentication. LOA from Heritage Auctions.