Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente at bat (http://www.medinahost.com/retire21/)

Born to be a Winner

Fifteen All-Star Game appearances. Twelve Gold Glove Awards. The 1996 National League Most Valuable Player Award. Two World Series Championships. No one can deny that Roberto Clemente was an all-time great baseball player. But his most important achievements took place far away from the baseball diamond. Clemente came from the most humble of backgrounds, born and raised in Puerto Rico. Baseball snagged his attention early and held on tight, carrying him to the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. His young and bright skills shone enough that the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball offered him a minor league contract, not worth a lot of money. After Clemente played one year with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers’ minor league team, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the rookie draft of 1954. Ironically, his major league debut came on April 17, 1955, against the Brooklyn Dodgers, the first team that gave him an opportunity to play in America. He would blossom into the best Pittsburgh Pirate to ever play. But every statistic in the world would not be able to describe the full effect that Clemente had on the world. Every off-season, Clemente would head down to his home country of Puerto Rico and give back to the community that raised him so well. He set up baseball camps, funded schools, and gave the kids the best role model possible. His courage when facing the media boldly showed how it doesn’t take punches to deliver a blow. And his unbelievable work ethic taught every kid that success always comes after hard work. Clemente’s catapult arm and fast-flicking bat are impressive, but they are just side notes when compared to the work he did for the world.

Roberto Clemente's 3000th hit given to him by and (http://blackandgoldworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/sentimental-journey-to-burgh-hits-home.html)

Anyone can judge a hero solely on facts and numbers. After all, Roberto Clemente is one of only 27 players in MLB history to collect 3000 hits. He won two World Series for the city of Pittsburgh, winning the Most Valuable Player Award in one of them. But those accomplishments pale in comparison to the brilliant inspiration that he provided to the entire world with his diligence at the plate and his ability to speak out without fear. His motivating words to the media about Latino bias cut right to the hearts of Americans, regardless of race. But to the young kids of Puerto Rico, Clemente’s words came gently, teaching fundamentals of baseball, respect to elders, and the importance of hard work. Not only did Clemente visit Puerto Rico every off-season to help out in the community, he had the courage to risk his life on a hazardous plane to help the people of Nicaragua. There is not a single other athlete in U.S. history that has had the impact on society that Clemente had. It is true that numbers never lie, but they might not tell the whole truth. In Roberto Clemente’s case, the statistics tell nothing.

Works Cited

Allison, Scott, and George Goethals. “Roberto Clemente and the Night that Happiness Died.” Heroes: What They Do and Why We Need Them. University of Richmond, 2010. Web. 10 Dec 2010. .

“Roberto Clemente.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 70-72. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Dec. 2010.

“Roberto Clemente.” U*X*L Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 17 Dec. 2010.

While many professional athletes during Roberto Clemente’s time were snobby slackers, Clemente was a perfect role model because of his belief in always working hard to achieve your goals. Some people might criticize wealthy athletes for growing up in a perfect environment with no challenges. They say that these athletes didn't even have to try to play sports. But Clemente’s story is much different: “Another lesson Clemente learned from his parents was the value of working hard. When he was nine years old, he wanted to buy a bicycle. In order to earn money, he began delivering milk to his neighbors. He earned a penny a day. After three years, he had saved enough money for the bicycle. The experience of having to work hard for what he wanted stayed with Clemente all his life…” ("Roberto Clemente." U*X*L Biographies). Roberto Clemente knew what he wanted to do. But he knew that achieving those goals would be impossible if he didn’t work hard every day. Just for a simple bike, Clemente worked for three years, painstakingly saving up every penny. That shows complete determination and refusal to quit. As a child, many people can be immature and impulsive when it comes to making decisions. Not Clemente, who was able to motivate himself every day in order to get a bike. Using what he learned from his parents, Clemente continued to be a diligent worker on the big stage: “Clemente, a native Puerto Rican, also overcame significant adversity… He faced discrimination, living in an era that tended to be intolerant of non-White, non-English speaking people. Because baseball at the time was dominated by Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Aaron, Clemente was often overlooked in discussions of great athletes…” (Allison, Scott, and George Goethals). Some athletes have responsibility and diligence as a youth in high school and college. They know what it takes to succeed when the professional level lies just ahead. But once they get to the big stage, some seem to take it all for granted. Athletes lose focus, become lazy, and argue for more playing time without even showing up for practice. Roberto Clemente was the opposite; he upped his game once reaching the Major Leagues, claiming too many awards to count. Even though the entire country was against him, Roberto Clemente found a way to break the prejudice against Hispanics. He never quit on his dream to reach equality and continued to prove to the world that he was one of the top players. Many famous athletes turned out to be huge slackers. Clemente was the opposite, always hustling on the field and always building new hopes off the field.

Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron (http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/07/mlb-all-star-game-history-year-by-year-results-winners-individual-career-single-game-records/)

Roberto Clemente knew that he didn’t stand a chance in the Major Leagues without having the guts to talk to the public; therefore, he braved the onslaught of the media by declaring all his feelings about prejudice in baseball: “Clemente was outspoken about his perceptions of prejudice toward Hispanic players. ‘Latin American Negro ballplayers are treated today much like all Negroes were treated in baseball in the early days of the broken color barrier,’ he told Sport magazine. ‘They are subjected to prejudices and stamped with generalizations’” (“Roberto Clemente.” Encyclopedia of World Biography). Clemente always knew that people would judge him as a Latino ballplayer, and he wasn't afraid to unleash his anger on the public. His mental toughness allowed him to express his true outlook on society in the Major Leagues. Many other players would’ve been afraid of being even more criticized for speaking out too harshly. Clemente was unafraid and proved his fearlessness on the field and in the community. When people think of courage in sports, Jackie Robinson always comes to mind. Fans will always compare Clemente and Robinson because both players broke racial borders for MLB. They remember Jackie Robinson for being able to brush off any doubt, insult, or lack of recognition. However, they should also remember Roberto Clemente for being a flame against racial prejudice. He never settled for inequality in the Majors, burning his Latino pride throughout America with furious words and eye-popping numbers. When fighting the doubt in the U.S., his heart was as hard as a rock, not willing to let anything or anyone push him down. But with the people he loved, Clemente’s heart warmed up. He put his entire life on the line when it came to helping his native area and ended up paying dearly: “To this day, the manner in which Clemente died still brings people to tears. In late December of 1972, he heard that Managua, Nicaragua, had been devastated by a massive earthquake. Clemente immediately began arranging emergency relief flights from Puerto Rico. He soon learned, however, that the aid packages on the first three flights never reached victims of the quake. Apparently, corrupt officials had diverted those flights. Clemente decided to accompany the fourth relief flight to ensure that the relief supplies would be delivered to the survivors” (Allison, Scott, and George Goethals). Roberto Clemente knew full well that taking off on a DC-7, a plane with a catastrophic history, could result in some issues. But Clemente didn’t care. He just wanted to deliver those packages personally to make sure they got there after corrupt officials blocked his first attempt. It always takes great courage to risk your life for others. This tragic accident took place during the off-season after Roberto Clemente’s monumental 3000th hit. No one would have blamed him if he had just spent one winter relaxing and enjoying his success. After all, he had already given so much to Latin America. However, if he had not helped the devastated nation, it just would not have been Roberto Clemente. Right after achieving one of the most historic baseball accomplishments, he went right back to work, braving the possible crash of the DC-7. Roberto Clemente showed the whole country what it truly means to be courageous; he was always declaring his beliefs to baseball with disregard for his reputation, while having the guts to personally deliver rescue aid to a shattered nation.