On September 30, 1972, Puerto Rican outfielder Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates faced the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium, arriving with 2,999 hits. He struck out in his first at-bat against lefty Jon Matlack, who would go on to win National League Rookie of the Year. In the fourth inning, at 3:07 p.m., Clemente hit a double off the left-field wall before 13,117 fans.
He received an ovation lasting more than a minute. He became only the 11th player in MLB history, and the first Latin American, to reach 3,000 hits. It was the last regular-season hit of his career.
Three months later, on December 31, 1972, Clemente died at age 38 when the plane carrying humanitarian aid for Nicaraguan earthquake victims crashed into the ocean shortly after leaving Puerto Rico. His death led the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) to set aside the five-year waiting period for Hall of Fame consideration. In a special March 1973 election, he received 393 of 424 votes (92.7%), becoming the first Latin American player inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.
Over 18 seasons he hit .317 with 240 home runs, 1,305 RBIs and 1,416 runs scored, won 12 Gold Gloves, was a 15-time All-Star, and was the 1966 National League MVP.