Roberto Clemente - Remembering Him on New Year's Eve

metrotheme

I wrote a piece on Clemente commemorating his heroic death on New Year's Eve 1972. Enjoy.


http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-33368-NY-Baseball-History-Examiner~y2009m12d31-Roberto-Clementes-New-Years-Eve-humanitarian-efforts-continue-to-endure

baseballfan

i wish i could have seen him play

Dboneesq

Nick,

Nice read. Didn't realize you were a New Yorker as well. Long Island here.

gecko109

Cant get to the article....keeps redirecting me to the homepage.

Dboneesq

Try this Gecko man

gecko109

<< <i>Try this Gecko man >>




Ok, now im on the page with the bronze bust. Where is the article?

GDM67

Roberto Walker Clemente. One of the greatest, and coolest, men who ever played the game.

Dboneesq

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<< <i>Try this Gecko man >>




Ok, now im on the page with the bronze bust. Where is the article? >>


You can't see the article to the left?

gecko109

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>Try this Gecko man >>




Ok, now im on the page with the bronze bust. Where is the article? >>


You can't see the article to the left? >>




No, its just a white space.

BPorter26

Probably the greatest Pirate of All-time. I never saw him play, but I did the other night. MLB network telecasted a 1970 Pirates at Expos. Before I went to bed, Clemente was 2-4. He had a sharp single up the middle and a double that hit the top of the wall. The man could hit and was a bigger hitter off the field.

Dboneesq

GECKO, Here it is:

Thirty-seven years ago baseball lost one of it's icons in an act of humanitariansm that will forever embed him in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide. Roberto Clemente made the ultimate sacrifice on New Year's Eve in 1972, rushing onto a doomed cargo flight to assist the earthquake relief efforts in Nicaragua. Shortly after take-off, the overloaded cargo plane would disappear into the horizon with Clemente's body never being recovered.

Clemente left an indelible impression on those who saw him play, from a youngster in Puerto Rico to hit number 3,000 in Pittsburgh. His rifle arm, gazelle-like stride, powerful swing, and relentless hustle made fans pay attention to his every move on the field. Anytime Clemente was involved in a play, there was the potential for something magical to happen.

In the United States, Clemente was the first Puerto Rican baseball superstar. While he was preceded by former Cubs and White Sox pitcher Hiram Bithorn, who was the first Puerto Rican in Major League Baseball, Clemente represented an example of excellence that both Americans and Puerto Ricans aspired to emulate. He was a beacon for the people of Puerto Rico, proudly representing his heritage in the media, addressing the public in Spanish while being interviewed on television after winning the 1971 World Series.

Clemente faced the dually difficult task of entering a country facing not only a language barrier, but a racial barrier where for the first time in his life, he would be denied access due to the color of his skin. Clemente was very outspoken about Jim Crow segregation and refused to accept second-class citizenship in the United States. His advocacy helped to ease the path for other Latin ballplayers entering the United States and further the on-going civil rights movement.

He spent his offseasons in Puerto Rico, conducting clinics and working on creating a sports city for underprivledged kids. He was an accessible superstar to the legions that followed him. Earlier in the winter of 1972, he led a group of amateur baseball players in Nicaragua. He quickly became enthralled with Nicaragua, as it reminded him of Puerto Rico in his youth. As soon as news of the earthquake reached Clemente, he spent the next week tirelessly working to organize relief efforts. When Clemente was contacted to inform him that the supplies were being looted and stolen by corrupt government officials, Clemente immediately chartered the first plane he could find in Puerto Rico. The plane needed many hours of repairs before it could be cleared for take-off. Clemente, distracted by the dire needs of the Nicaraguan people, ignored the distressed state of the plane and boarded the flight. The flight crashed into the ocean just after taking off.

Frantic efforts to search for Clemente, including teammate Manny Sanguillen swimming in the waters, turned up nothing. The abrput end to a legendary career added to Clemente's place in history. Three months later, Clemente would become the first Puerto Rican inducted into the Hall of Fame, waiving the five year waiting period for selection. In the PBS documentary, "American Experience: Roberto Clemente", friend Osvaldo Gil explained how Clemente's unselfish act has allowed his legacy to endure. "If he died as a player, only sports fans would remember him. But by dying while helping others, he would be remembered as a humanitarian." As we look to celebrate a new year, let's carry on the humanitarian spirit of Roberto Clemente.

Redglobe

Hello,

I couldn't help but chime in after reading this post.

I did see Mr Clemente play,not in person but on TV...It was the 1971 world series against Baltimore.I want to say it was Curt Gowdy doing the play by play.Just to add,Brooks Robinson was magical playing third base.
I also saw him in other games back then when they had the game of the week.I think it was Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek doing the games back then.

Anyway,he was by far the best right fielder I have ever seen,cannon for an arm,speed on the base paths,could hit for power and average.
I couldn't tell you how many times I watched in awe as he threw out runners at home plate,from second base on a hit by the batter.

If you want to see the term "Five tool player" he was it.
Without a doubt one of my favorite players to watch.

I was in shock when I heard of the plane crash that took this wonder players life.

Thanks for bringing up this post,he was a amazing player to watch

Rob

Dialj

What a honor it was to see him roam the field. The could do it all ... and with grace. Not to mention he was an amazing human being with a heart of gold.

pdub1819

Thank you for the nice article. I'm a fan of Clemente, just read the book by David Maraniss this past year. He was a great player, a greater father and a huge humanitarian.

WeekendHacker

<< <i>Thank you for the nice article. I'm a fan of Clemente, just read the book by David Maraniss this past year. He was a great player, a greater father and a huge humanitarian. >>

I read that book when it came out. He was grossly misunderstood and way ahead of his time. Although he developed a reputation as a complainer and being hurt all the time - how did he manage to play in almost 2500 games? The media never really portrayed a positive image of him routinely mocking him in the paper. He never got his due until he was gone.

metrotheme

Thanks for all of the feedback. Here is the link for all of those who might be having trouble reading it. Feel free to leave your Clemente memories as comments on the article. If you want to see something nice, check the link in the article to the PBS documentary on Clemente. I showed it to my classes about 2 weeks ago and it brought up a great dialogue about athletes and their community service. Even though none of my students are old enough to see Clemente play (neither am I) they all could recognize how he persisted in spite of racism and his charitable spirit that ultimately ended in his death. He was such an inspiration to Puerto Ricans and Americans as well. Alot of my students said we'll never see another athlete like Clemente. They all were very impressed with how he played from the few clips that were in the documentary. I was just impressed how they gasped as his speed and rifle arm upon seeing it for the first time. Elite athletes are noticeable the first time you see them play and the students knew they were watching something special. That was my motivation to write this article. Even though my students aren't baseball fans, they now at least understand the historical significance of Clemente and why he is still talked about today.

Doug - Yes, I am from the city. Good to know of other collectors in the area.


PS - I fixed the HTML code so that it should now display in all browsers.

pdub1819

<< <i>

<< <i>Thank you for the nice article. I'm a fan of Clemente, just read the book by David Maraniss this past year. He was a great player, a greater father and a huge humanitarian. >>

I read that book when it came out. He was grossly misunderstood and way ahead of his time. Although he developed a reputation as a complainer and being hurt all the time - how did he manage to play in almost 2500 games? The media never really portrayed a positive image of him routinely mocking him in the paper. He never got his due until he was gone. >>



I just wonder where he would stand (baseball wise) if he played until he was ready to retire.

RedHeart54

Maybe I'm wrong but I can't believe these didn't sell in recent ebay auctions. They didn't hit their respective reserves and the regular card only hit $762 and the In Action only hit $910. These are some of the last autos he signed after all.



BTW, I just noticed he has them listed as buy-it-nows for $2500 and $3000.

53BKid

I cried my eyes out as a kid when this was announced.

Thanks for the piece.