Roberto Clemente 1955 Topps Rookie Card Auctions for Near Record $1.05M | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
William Burgess A 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card sold for over $1 million at auction this week.
According to TMZ Sports, PWCC Marketplace officials said the card sold for $1.05 million, making it the second-most-valuable Clemente card ever, behind only a card that sold for $1.107 million previously.
The Clemente card that sold this week was graded a 9 by PSA, making it one of the most pristine examples of the card known to exist.
Clemente is one of the most iconic players in baseball history for myriad reasons, including his on-field performance.
In 18 MLB seasons from 1955 to 1972, all of which were spent with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemente hit .317 with 240 home runs, 1,305 RBI and 1,416 runs scored. He also recorded his landmark 3,000th hit in his final at-bat.
Clemente was a 15-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove Award winner, four-time batting champion, one-time National League MVP, two-time World Series champion and one-time World Series MVP as well.
Tragically, Clemente died in 1972 at the age of 38 when an airplane carrying him and earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua crashed off the coast of his native Puerto Rico.
Clemente was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame one year after his death, and he later received the ultimate honor of the MLB Commissioner's Award being renamed the Roberto Clemente Award in his memory.
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team," and it has been won by notable names like Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr. and Clayton Kershaw.
Also, since 2002, MLB has honored Clemente annually each September with Roberto Clemente Day, which sees teams across the league wear either patches or Clemente's No. 21 on their jerseys to celebrate his life and career.
Clemente remains one of the most popular players in MLB history due to his talent and humanitarian work, and it stands to reason that his cards will continue to increase in value because of that.
