This was a paper I had to write for Spanish class in honor of Black History Month, this is about Roberto Clemente and was turned in for a grade.
Class, dignity, grace, all these words can be used to describe the great Roberto Clemente. Little did Melchor and Lucia know that they had created a true legend both on and off the baseball diamond. Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He was the youngest of seven children, born to Melchor Clemente and Lucia Walker. His father was like many Hispanic baseball players' fathers, poor with limited resources, he had to work for every single penny that he earned. The same concept can be used to describe Clemente's career. Nothing was ever given to him, in baseball, or in his childhood.
Roberto's interest in baseball was shown at a very early age, he often played against neighboring barrios, or neighborhoods. His baseball career took of while at Vizcarondo High School in Carolina when he was asked by Roberto Martin to play for the Sello Rijo softball team, from there he joined the Puerto Rico amateur league two years later. At 16 he was considered one of the best young prospects in Puerto Rico.
When you grow up the way Clemente did, money is scarce so you need to take every opportunity that you get. Pedrin Zorilla was the scout who signed him to a contract with the Santurce Crabbers of the not very prestigious LBBPR, but it was money that was coming in and he needed it. He was about to receive the opportunity of his lifetime. While progressing to be in the starting lineup he was noticed by Brooklyn Dodgers and offered a contract. Before he could realize his dream of playing in the Majors he would have to go through the triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. This team was located in Montreal.
Anyone who understands culture can attest to the extreme differences between the two areas of Puerto Rico and Montreal. Different weather, language, people it all took Clemente by surprise. That was until he was taken under by a new friend. Joe Black was the only Spanish speaking player on the team, or even in the city it seemed, and made the transition easier. That allowed Clemente to get back to what mattered, baseball.
He definitely got used to the city in a hurry. So much so that in 1954 a scout from the Pittsburgh Pirates named Clyde Sukeforth. Clyde Sukeforth is a name that people in Pittsburgh should name their kids after because he was the one who opened the greatest era in Pittsburgh sports history till the Steelers dynasty of the 1970's. Roberto Clemente was about to excel into super stardom and wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He made his major league debut on April 17, 1955 against the team that had signed him, the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Clemente came into Pittsburgh during a tough time. They had not had a winning season since 1948, a streak that he helped end in 1959. He opened his career in tough racial times as well, he had racial problems with both teammates and the local media, in his rookie season he only hit for a .225 average but played spectacular defense. It was not till the 1960's that the true Pittsburgh success began. In big liberal cities like Pittsburgh racial tension was beginning to die down , this made it easier for him to concentrate on baseball and he even enlisted in the military during the offseason. This was before his coming out party in 1960, when he truly exploded on the scene hitting over .300 for the first time. 1960 was also the year of a historic upset in the World Series as the Pirates defeated the mighty New York Yankees in one of the best 7 game series that baseball has ever seen, as Bill Mazeroski hit a home run in game 7 to win the Pirates 1st series since 1925.
After the wear and tear of a title defense that saw Clemente selected to his 1st All Star game, the rest of the decade went off without much excitement, other then a marriage, four batting championships, and a National League MVP award in 1966. The 1970s [ the last decade of his life] proved to be the most exciting, and shortest. After the 1970 season the famous Forbes Field was going to be shut down. This was an emotional time for Clemente who was quoted as saying that he "spent my life in that Stadium." But the first season in the new stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, was one of the best in Pirate history. In 1971, after a .352 avg. in 1970, he took a back burner to the team aspect. The Pirates theme for the 1971 season was "We Are Family" and the entire city and team responded. This motto gave the team a sense of community, family even. This helped them finish off a good 1970 season with a National League championship in 1971. They faced the powerhouse Baltimore Orioles, who won 100 games in the regular season and where the defending World Champions. Surprisingly to everyone but them, the Pirates won the World Series beating the highly favored Orioles in 7 games. Clemente was the MVP of the series.
The 1970's also saw Roberto Clemente join the baseball gods with his 3,000 hit. The 3,000 hit Club is a free ticket to the hall of fame and hardly anyone has accomplished it. Getting to that special milestone means you will be remembered forever in baseball lore as one of the greatest players in history. His 3,000 hit as certainly his most special, sadly it was also his last.
On December 31, 1972 the plane that Roberto Clemente, overloaded by 5,000 pounds, crashed right after takeoff. Clemente was dead. His body was never found. The saddest part of the story is that Clemente was on his way to Managua, Nicaragua which had just been devastated by a colossal earthquake just weeks before. Clemente was on his way to deliver aid to the tragedy stricken region when his plane crashed into the ocean.
Clemente will be remembered as a true pioneer but also as one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. His 12 Gold Glove awards ties Willie Mays with the most by an outfielder, he leads the Pittsburgh Pirates all time in hits, total bases, and games. He went to the All-Star game 12 times, and was a two time world champion.
These numbers scream certain 1st ballot introduction into the hall of fame, which would have taken 5 years. The rule for entry into the hall of fame is that one can not be elected before he has been retired for 5 years. This rule has been lifted once, and this was the time. The writers who he fought with when he came into the league held a special election. The outcome of that election was that there was going to be a bend the rules. In 1973, not even a year after his death, Roberto Walker Clemente was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
No comments:
Post a Comment