Roberto Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934. From early childhood Roberto showed signs of great athletic ability. At school he won regional competitions, once throwing the javelin 190 feet: the world record in 1953 was just over 263 feet. He was also very fast on the track competing in both the sprint and hurdles. But baseball was his passion. At age 14, little more than a boy, Clemente was playing softball with the men of the Sello Rojo team, sponsored by a large rice-processing company. He quickly moved on to a very competitive amateur baseball league, playing for a team known as the Ferdinand Juncos. Roberto's mother wanted him to seek a career in engineering and hoped he would practice the profession. But in 1952, before finishing high school, Roberto was offered a professional baseball contract. Engineering would have to wait. At the age of 18, Clemente made the big leap from amateur status to the Puerto Rican professional league. He signed with the Santurce Cangrejeros in 1952 for $40 a week, with a $400 signing bonus. The Cangrejeros were good. Although Roberto played sparingly, they won the Puerto Rican championship in his rookie year. In his second year (1953-54), Roberto was able to concentrate on his growth by playing every day. His game has improved. He hit a respectable .288 for the season and caught the attention of major league scouts. In February 1954, Clemente signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and reported to their top minor league team, the Montreal Royals. The man who signed Clemente, scout Al Campanis, had implored Dodger management to immediately place him on the major league roster. Otherwise, Roberto could be lost to another major league team after just one season. The Dodgers ended up regretting their decision. After a disappointing season in Canada, Clemente returned to Santurce to play in the 1954-55 winter league. The Cangrejeros assembled a constellation of stars led by Willie Mays. They leveled the competition in Puerto Rico and won the Caribbean World Series. Nicknamed "Murderers Row" and "Escuadrón del Pánico (The Panic Squad)", the '54-55 Cangrejeros are considered by many to be the best Caribbean baseball team of all time. Playing left field and batting second in the lineup, Roberto was one of only four Puerto Ricans on the team. He responded to the challenge by hitting a stellar shot .