Roberto Clemente: A Man Who Changed Baseball Forever
When the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Chicago White Sox today, it will be a game like no other. The #21 will be taking the field at PNC Park for the first time since 1972 when all Pirates players and coaches will wear the number. It is all in honor of "The Great One" Roberto Clemente on Rover to Clemente day. Every year, the MLB celebrates Clemente's legacy with the Roberto Clemente award, but this is the first time the Pirates have been allowed to wear his number on their backs. It will be a special day for third base coach Joey Cora as he becomes the first Puerto Rican since Clemente to wear the number.
With the honor also comes the pressure to perform and play well with that #21 on your back. Clemente was a baseball hero for a generation of fans spending 18 years in a Pirates uniform. He batted over .300 in 13 of those 18 seasons and set a Pirates record with a career 3000 hits. He is one of just two Pirates to reach the 3,000 hit mark and the only one who spent his entire career in a Pirates uniform, Paul Waner was the other but accomplished the feat between four teams. Not only was his on-field success celebrated, but his work off the field as well. He would never hesitate to send aid to his home country of Puerto Rico, or anywhere in need, and it ultimately led to his death on December 31, 1972. Today, we honor the great Roberto Clemente as we look back at the life and career of one of the greatest players and one of the greatest men to ever step foot on a baseball diamond.
Clements Before the Pirates
Clemente came from humble beginnings growing up in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and was the youngest of seven siblings. His family didn't have much money and Clemente and the rest of his family would all work together to make ends meet. Clemente's father, Melchor Clemente, worked as a forman of sugar crops and Clemente worked right alongside his dad loading and unloading trucks for the company. Even though his family was struggling, Clemente was determined to change all that. Before baseball, Clemente was a track and field star and won national awards in the Javelin throw as well as short-distance running. The Julio Vizcarrondo Coronado High School standout was beginning to make waves on the track becoming an Olympic hopeful, but baseball is the sport he really wanted to pursue.
He started focusing full-time on baseball and joined the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican Baseball League at the age of 18. Clemente wasn't the only star on that team as he played with future MLB Hall of Famer Willie Mays. In fact, Clemente wasn't even one of the best nine players on the team his first season as he was used primarily off the bench during his age 18 season. He wouldn't win his first starting job until the next year when he won the job as an outfielder. He would hit .288 that season and started getting attention from teams around the MLB. Clemente would sign his first MLB contract on February 19th, 1954 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and headed to the Minor Leagues with the Montreal Royals.
Clemente struggled with the transition initially but began to show his true prowess as time went on. With the Rookie draft coming up the next season, Clemente had to show his worth to teams around the league. His stats didn't jump off the page, as in 87 games he hit .252 with two home runs and 12 RBI, but he was used sparingly by the Royals. In fact, when the Pirates came out to scout the Royals, Clemente didn't even play an entire game. However, Pirates scout Clyde Sukeforth saw Clemente's work in pre-game drills and batting practice and was convinced this was the guy for Pittsburgh. Sukeforth was quoted as saying "I knew then he'd be our first draft choice. I told Montreal Manager Max Macon to 'take good care of our boy' and see that he doesn't get hurt." Sukeforth and the Pirates stayed true to their word and, on November 22, 1954, took Clemente with the first overall pick in the rookie draft.
A Star is Born in Pittsburgh
From the moment he was drafted, Clemente won the starting right field job, but struggled in the beginning. During his rookie season, he appeared in 124 games for the Pirates, batting .255 with five home runs and 47 RBI. He started his career as an average MLB player hitting .282 with 26 home runs and 237 RBI through his first five seasons in the Major Leagues. It wasn't until the 1960 season that the Clemente that everyone knows and loves began to take off. It was a career-year for Clemente as he hit .314 with 16 home runs and 94 RBI while earning his first National League All-Star appearance.
It would be the first of eight-straight All-Star game appearances and was a big reason why the Pirates won the 1960 World Series. With a World Series championship and an All-Star season under his belt, Clemente was ready to become the star he is today. Over the next eight seasons, Clemente's batting average never dipped below the .314 mark and he consistently finished with double-digit home runs, 20 or more doubles, and 10 or more triples a season. He was named the National League MVP during the 1966 season when he hit .317 with 29 home runs and 119 RBI, and officially became a household name and an idol to so many in his home country of Puerto Rico.
Clemente would lead the Pirates to another World Series in 1971 and was the team leader on offense hitting .341 with 13 home runs and 86 RBI. Clemente continued his offensive prowess into the World Series going 12-29 (.414) with two home runs and four RBI. He also played stellar defense in right field throughout the series and earned the World Series MVP award that season. Clemente broke several Pirates records during his career, including the all-time team hits record on September 2nd, 1972 when he picked up his 2,971st hit. He would become the second Pirate to ever reach the 3,000 hit club on September 30th, 1972, with a double in what would end up being his final regular-season at-bat. Clemente would be involved in a horrific plane crash three months later that tragically ended his life and left his legacy in Pittsburgh.
Clemente's Humanitarian Work
Perhaps the thing Clemente is most celebrated for is his humanitarian work off the field. Clemente was always ready to help someone in need and offered aid across North and Central America throughout his life. He consistently gave back to his home island of Puerto Rico hosting free baseball clinics for Children every winter up until his death. It was clinics like these that got Clemente noticed, and he wanted to give back and make sure the players in Puerto Rico had their chance to shine. He also managed a Puerto Rican All-Star team Managua, Nicaragua where he had many friends. Sadly, on December 23rd, 1972, the country was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that left the country devastated.
When Clemente got word of the devastation, he was the first one to provide assistance, heading the earthquake relief committee. As honorary chairman, Clemente and the committee helped raise $150,000 dollars and gathered 26 tons of relief supplies for the people of Managua. As he was loading his plane to fly the supplies to Managua, Clemente was told that he would have to take some weight off the plane for safety reasons. Clemente refused, demanding that the people of Managua needed the supplies to help them recover. He went on with the flight, which was the fourth flight in a series of relief efforts, but never made it to the country. The plane crashed on December 31st, 1972 killing Clemente and others on board.
Clemente's Legacy
Roberto Clemente was an idol to many on and off the baseball field. He was the first Hispanic Born player inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1973. A special election was held to waive the mandatory five-year waiting period to allow Clemente to be honored. He helped pave the way for many Puerto Rican players who may have otherwise not have gotten the chance to play baseball professionally. Guys like Jose Abreu, Salvador Perez, and even Mariano Rivera might not have gotten their shot if it weren't for Clemente.
He is honored in his hometown with the Roberto Clemente Sports City located in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It was established by his widow, the late Vera Zabala, as a place where young Puerto Ricans could develop their skills in sports. The complex continued his dream of creating a place where young Puerto Ricans can pursue more than sports. The Clemente legacy was best summed up by Broadcaster Tim McCarver at Clemente's Hall of Fame induction. He said "The greatest right fielder of all time because of his precise and powerful throwing arm. Roberto once said 'If you have a chance to accomplish something better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this Earth."
Thank you Roberto Clemente for being not only a great baseball player but a great man. You are a shining example of what everyone should strive to be, someone who is willing to help others in need. In a world where a lot of people think about themselves, you were a man who unselfishly put others before yourself. If everyone could be a little bit like you, the world would be a better place. Your legacy in Pittsburgh is one that lives on forever and one that the Pirates will look to continue tonight when all players and coaches wear #21 in your honor. You always said "When I put on this jersey, I feel I am the happiest man alive" and the Pirates look to make you proud with their performance tonight.
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