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Roberto Clemente Stats & Facts
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Roberto Clemente Stats & Facts

    Roberto Clemente Position: RightfielderBats: Right  •  Throws: Right5-11, 175lb (180cm, 79kg)Born: August 18, 1934 in Carolina, Puerto Rico prDied: December 31, 1972 in San Juan, Puerto RicoBuried: Died at SeaHigh School: Julio C. Vizarrondo (Carolina, Puerto Rico)Debut: April 17, 1955 (11,239th in major league history)vs. BRO 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBLast Game: October 3, 1972vs. STL 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBHall of Fame: Inducted as Player in…

1972 – Roberto Clemente’s batting practice moon shot again comes close to Wrigley Field’s scoreboard. Bart Ripp, writing in Sport Magazine, recalls Clemente’s confrontation with 6′ 7″ Jim McKee, a young, fireballing, Pirate pitching prospect who has just made Richie Hebner, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell look foolish: “Clemente dusted his hands, then took his usual righthanded stance deep in the box, as far from the plate as possible. Standing still, Clemente heard the first pitch go by, then primly stuck his bat out over the plate at the next three. Each time, the ball hit the club, then pirouetted to the grass, just fair, and there they stuck as if they had landed in wet cement. Roberto then took three swings, but did not move his legs or hips, just the arms and wrists – he was merely getting his eye in. The result was three line drives – to left, to center, to right. All base hits in any game. Clemente slowly hauled out his familiar swing: the front leg lifted and cocked to the catcher, his torso leaping at the ball, the swing ending with his back foot hanging in the air. He proceeded to undress the rookie, smacking severe line drives all over old Wrigley Field. Not paying any respect to a god, Hebner shouted taunting encouragement to Clemente, ‘Come on, take one more swing.’ Clemente motioned to the pitcher, wiping the side of his hand across the letters of his uniform. McKee put it right there, right on the outside corner, and Clemente swung once more. The ball nearly tipped the button of McKee’s cap, then once past second began to rise on a straight line. It was still rising when it struck the bleachers just below the scoreboard, 500 feet away. The people around the cage surveyed the landing site for a few seconds, then closed their mouths and looked back into the cage. It was empty, as Clemente walked back to the dugout, rolling his head about to relieve a crick in his neck.”

1972 – Roberto Clemente’s batting practice moon shot again comes close to Wrigley Field’s scoreboard. Bart Ripp, writing in Sport Magazine, recalls Clemente’s confrontation with 6′ 7″ Jim McKee, a young, fireballing, Pirate pitching prospect who has just made Richie Hebner, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell look foolish: “Clemente dusted his hands, then took his usual righthanded stance deep in the box, as far from the plate as possible. Standing still, Clemente heard the first pitch go by, then primly stuck his bat out over the plate at the next three. Each time, the ball hit the club, then pirouetted to the grass, just fair, and there they stuck as if they had landed in wet cement. Roberto then took three swings, but did not move his legs or hips, just the arms and wrists – he was merely getting his eye in. The result was three line drives – to left, to center, to right. All base hits in any game. Clemente slowly hauled out his familiar swing: the front leg lifted and cocked to the catcher, his torso leaping at the ball, the swing ending with his back foot hanging in the air. He proceeded to undress the rookie, smacking severe line drives all over old Wrigley Field. Not paying any respect to a god, Hebner shouted taunting encouragement to Clemente, ‘Come on, take one more swing.’ Clemente motioned to the pitcher, wiping the side of his hand across the letters of his uniform. McKee put it right there, right on the outside corner, and Clemente swung once more. The ball nearly tipped the button of McKee’s cap, then once past second began to rise on a straight line. It was still rising when it struck the bleachers just below the scoreboard, 500 feet away. The people around the cage surveyed the landing site for a few seconds, then closed their mouths and looked back into the cage. It was empty, as Clemente walked back to the dugout, rolling his head about to relieve a crick in his neck.”

Roberto Clemente puts on quite a show but can’t prevent Pittsburgh’s 3 – 2 loss to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers. Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times reports: “Pittsburgh’s exciting right fielder, Roberto Clemente, waged a one-man war against Los Angeles with a spectacular display of throwing and batting. The fiery Puerto Rican smacked a triple, double and single to keep Koufax in hot water, but it was his arm that captured the fans’ fancy and left two baserunners for dead. Dick Tracewski ended a promising scoring spree in the 2nd inning when Clemente’s strike to Ducky Schofield nailed him as he tried to scramble back to second base. When Ron Fairly’s triple eluded Clemente in the 7th, he retrieved the ball and threw it on the fly from the warning track to home plate. And then Roberto took John Roseboro’s game-winning sacrifice fly and pegged another shot to the plate that nearly nipped Fairly. The next batter, Willie Davis, challenged Clemente’s arm by trying to stretch a single. He was out at second by a couple of lengths. Not since their own Carl Furillo was in his prime have the Dodgers seen such a display of throwing as Clemente’s.”

Roberto Clemente puts on quite a show but can’t prevent Pittsburgh’s 3 – 2 loss to Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers. Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times reports: “Pittsburgh’s exciting right fielder, Roberto Clemente, waged a one-man war against Los Angeles with a spectacular display of throwing and batting. The fiery Puerto Rican smacked a triple, double and single to keep Koufax in hot water, but it was his arm that captured the fans’ fancy and left two baserunners for dead. Dick Tracewski ended a promising scoring spree in the 2nd inning when Clemente’s strike to Ducky Schofield nailed him as he tried to scramble back to second base. When Ron Fairly’s triple eluded Clemente in the 7th, he retrieved the ball and threw it on the fly from the warning track to home plate. And then Roberto took John Roseboro’s game-winning sacrifice fly and pegged another shot to the plate that nearly nipped Fairly. The next batter, Willie Davis, challenged Clemente’s arm by trying to stretch a single. He was out at second by a couple of lengths. Not since their own Carl Furillo was in his prime have the Dodgers seen such a display of throwing as Clemente’s.”

1972 – Pittsburgh’s Steve Blass and Roberto Clemente each close in on a cherished goal: the former, a 20-win season, the latter a 3,000-hit career. Charley Feeney of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports: “Blass notched his 19th victory – and No. 100 of his career – while Clemente rapped two hits in a 5 – 1 breeze over the Phillies here last night… ‘I’ve always looked forward to winning 20 games,’ says Blass. He will get a chance for No. 20 on Sunday in Pittsburgh when he faces the Mets… Clemente is within four hits of becoming the first Pirate in history to collect 3,000 hits. Clemente hit four balls hard last night. He was instrumental in sending Wayne Twitchell to the hospital. Twitchell was hit on the palm of the right hand by Clemente’s vicious smash in the 1st inning. Twitchell retrieved the ball and threw out Clemente, then headed for the hospital where X-rays of the hand were negative. In the 3rd, rookie third baseman Mike Schmidt made a fine stop of Clemente’s hot smash and, with plenty of time to nab Clemente at first base, Schmidt threw low for an error. Clemente singled in the five-run 6th and chopped a hit to third in the 9th. He also fanned.”

1972 – Pittsburgh’s Steve Blass and Roberto Clemente each close in on a cherished goal: the former, a 20-win season, the latter a 3,000-hit career. Charley Feeney of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports: “Blass notched his 19th victory – and No. 100 of his career – while Clemente rapped two hits in a 5 – 1 breeze over the Phillies here last night… ‘I’ve always looked forward to winning 20 games,’ says Blass. He will get a chance for No. 20 on Sunday in Pittsburgh when he faces the Mets… Clemente is within four hits of becoming the first Pirate in history to collect 3,000 hits. Clemente hit four balls hard last night. He was instrumental in sending Wayne Twitchell to the hospital. Twitchell was hit on the palm of the right hand by Clemente’s vicious smash in the 1st inning. Twitchell retrieved the ball and threw out Clemente, then headed for the hospital where X-rays of the hand were negative. In the 3rd, rookie third baseman Mike Schmidt made a fine stop of Clemente’s hot smash and, with plenty of time to nab Clemente at first base, Schmidt threw low for an error. Clemente singled in the five-run 6th and chopped a hit to third in the 9th. He also fanned.”

Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente is robbed on a 430-to-450-foot putout. With two on, two out and no score in the 6th, Dodgers centerfielder Duke Snider goes to considerable lengths to frustrate his favorite right fielder. Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times reports: “Clemente clouted an ‘extra-baser’ which Snider caught with one hand near the center-field wall.” Clemente, however, has little cause for complaint. A mere two innings earlier, he himself performed a bit of “armed” robbery with Norm Larker playing the hapless victim though Larker, for his part, would claim it’s the umpire who robbed him. Frank Finch continues: “Round Four started well enough for L.A. when Tom Davis got a bad-hop single and raced to third on Norm Larker’s single to right. However, Bob Clemente’s rifle peg to Rocky Nelson nipped Larker trying to get back to first base. Larker snorted and stomped like a Brahma bull, getting the bum’s rush from umpire Ken Burkhart for throwing the tantrum. From the press box, it appeared that Larker had gotten back in time, but he had no excuse for the play even being close.” Clemente’s “lethal weapon” once again proves pivotal two innings later. George Lederer of the Long Beach Independent writes: “Stan Williams learned how costly his [7th-inning] error was when John Roseboro led off the 8th with a single. Roseboro, batting for Williams, lined Vern Law’s first pitch into the right field corner and was held to a single only by Roberto Clemente’s quick retrieve and bullet throw to second. Trailing by three runs instead of one, manager Walter Alston could not call for the bunt that otherwise would have been in order. Maury Wills, leading off in Alston’s revised lineup, promptly grounded into a double play to wipe out the Dodgers’ last serious bid.”

Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente is robbed on a 430-to-450-foot putout. With two on, two out and no score in the 6th, Dodgers centerfielder Duke Snider goes to considerable lengths to frustrate his favorite right fielder. Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times reports: “Clemente clouted an ‘extra-baser’ which Snider caught with one hand near the center-field wall.” Clemente, however, has little cause for complaint. A mere two innings earlier, he himself performed a bit of “armed” robbery with Norm Larker playing the hapless victim though Larker, for his part, would claim it’s the umpire who robbed him. Frank Finch continues: “Round Four started well enough for L.A. when Tom Davis got a bad-hop single and raced to third on Norm Larker’s single to right. However, Bob Clemente’s rifle peg to Rocky Nelson nipped Larker trying to get back to first base. Larker snorted and stomped like a Brahma bull, getting the bum’s rush from umpire Ken Burkhart for throwing the tantrum. From the press box, it appeared that Larker had gotten back in time, but he had no excuse for the play even being close.” Clemente’s “lethal weapon” once again proves pivotal two innings later. George Lederer of the Long Beach Independent writes: “Stan Williams learned how costly his [7th-inning] error was when John Roseboro led off the 8th with a single. Roseboro, batting for Williams, lined Vern Law’s first pitch into the right field corner and was held to a single only by Roberto Clemente’s quick retrieve and bullet throw to second. Trailing by three runs instead of one, manager Walter Alston could not call for the bunt that otherwise would have been in order. Maury Wills, leading off in Alston’s revised lineup, promptly grounded into a double play to wipe out the Dodgers’ last serious bid.”

1969 – Roberto Clemente’s first hit of the season easily escapes the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. “Clemente, who had been 0 for 12,” writes Bill Christine of the Pittsburgh Press, “attempted to add some adrenalin to the Pirate attack in the 1st inning when he blasted a Joe Niekro fastball out in the street beyond left field.” The first-frame bomb, however, yields but a short-lived lead. “Billy Williams,” writes Lee Jenkins of the Chicago Daily Defender, “showing off his recently acquired ability to go with the pitch, slammed one into the left field bleachers in the 1st and rookie Don Young performed the same feat good for 2 runs in the 2nd to more than counteract Clemente’s tremendous shot over the left-field stands.” Additional adrenalin – accounting for Pittsburgh’s remaining three runs – is supplied by Clemente’s 5th-inning, bases-loaded single, whereby he will significantly enhance Niekro’s understanding of the phrase “dangerous hitter.” Jenkins writes: “Clemente fired a shot through the middle that knocked Niekro down and raced to second base when Young tried for a one-handed scoop and the ball got through for a two-base error with three runs counting.” By the 7th inning, the Cubs have finally wised up. Jenkins continues: “Hank Aguirre knocked off five Pirates before pinch-hitter Jose Pagan lashed a single to lead off the 7th and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Clemente was given an intentional walk after he refused to bite at three Aguirre wide ones. But the crafty veteran fanned Willie Stargell to escape.”

1969 – Roberto Clemente’s first hit of the season easily escapes the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. “Clemente, who had been 0 for 12,” writes Bill Christine of the Pittsburgh Press, “attempted to add some adrenalin to the Pirate attack in the 1st inning when he blasted a Joe Niekro fastball out in the street beyond left field.” The first-frame bomb, however, yields but a short-lived lead. “Billy Williams,” writes Lee Jenkins of the Chicago Daily Defender, “showing off his recently acquired ability to go with the pitch, slammed one into the left field bleachers in the 1st and rookie Don Young performed the same feat good for 2 runs in the 2nd to more than counteract Clemente’s tremendous shot over the left-field stands.” Additional adrenalin – accounting for Pittsburgh’s remaining three runs – is supplied by Clemente’s 5th-inning, bases-loaded single, whereby he will significantly enhance Niekro’s understanding of the phrase “dangerous hitter.” Jenkins writes: “Clemente fired a shot through the middle that knocked Niekro down and raced to second base when Young tried for a one-handed scoop and the ball got through for a two-base error with three runs counting.” By the 7th inning, the Cubs have finally wised up. Jenkins continues: “Hank Aguirre knocked off five Pirates before pinch-hitter Jose Pagan lashed a single to lead off the 7th and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Clemente was given an intentional walk after he refused to bite at three Aguirre wide ones. But the crafty veteran fanned Willie Stargell to escape.”

1971 – Is this Roberto Clemente’s long lost 241st home run? Some spotty official scoring and Dave Giusti’s pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clemente’s contributions to the Pirates’ performance. Giusti’s silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk to Willie Mays, and a game-winning grand slam served to the Giants’ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind 4 – 2 victory into an ignominious 8 – 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 – 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giusti’s meltdown, Clemente’s rope to home plate prevents Dick Dietz from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a vicious line drive back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored an error, it’s the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “It should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I don’t really care if the ruling’s changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.”

1971 – Is this Roberto Clemente’s long lost 241st home run? Some spotty official scoring and Dave Giusti’s pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clemente’s contributions to the Pirates’ performance. Giusti’s silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk to Willie Mays, and a game-winning grand slam served to the Giants’ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind 4 – 2 victory into an ignominious 8 – 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 – 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giusti’s meltdown, Clemente’s rope to home plate prevents Dick Dietz from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a vicious line drive back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored an error, it’s the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “It should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I don’t really care if the ruling’s changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.”

As fate would have it, Roberto Clemente’s first visit to the newly-opened Candlestick Park coincides with the 29th birthday of his one-time mentor Willie Mays, and once again Mays’ student steals the spotlight. While all three Willies – i.e. Mays, McCovey and Kirkland – go deep to power San Francisco’s 5 – 1 win over Pittsburgh, it’s Clemente who gets the crowd’s attention with a shot to left center into the teeth of a vicious wind. Arnold Hano, California-based biographer of both Mays and Clemente, witnesses this moment: “Clemente’s bat hit the ball, and the result absolutely clubbed the crowd into awed silence for a long moment. Right into that wet whipping wind the ball carried. Right on through, hit 120 feet high in a long soaring majestic parabola that came down finally over 450 feet away. There is just no way of telling how far Clemente’s home run blast would have traveled had it not been for that wind. Suffice it to say partisan Giant fans suddenly broke their shell-shocked silence and let loose a gigantic roar. For two innings the stadium buzzed. For days the Giants talked about it. Even today if you slip up behind a Giant pitcher and suddenly whisper in his ear: ‘Remember the home run Clemente hit?’ he’s likely to jump as high as if he’d been caught putting spit on baseballs.”

As fate would have it, Roberto Clemente’s first visit to the newly-opened Candlestick Park coincides with the 29th birthday of his one-time mentor Willie Mays, and once again Mays’ student steals the spotlight. While all three Willies – i.e. Mays, McCovey and Kirkland – go deep to power San Francisco’s 5 – 1 win over Pittsburgh, it’s Clemente who gets the crowd’s attention with a shot to left center into the teeth of a vicious wind. Arnold Hano, California-based biographer of both Mays and Clemente, witnesses this moment: “Clemente’s bat hit the ball, and the result absolutely clubbed the crowd into awed silence for a long moment. Right into that wet whipping wind the ball carried. Right on through, hit 120 feet high in a long soaring majestic parabola that came down finally over 450 feet away. There is just no way of telling how far Clemente’s home run blast would have traveled had it not been for that wind. Suffice it to say partisan Giant fans suddenly broke their shell-shocked silence and let loose a gigantic roar. For two innings the stadium buzzed. For days the Giants talked about it. Even today if you slip up behind a Giant pitcher and suddenly whisper in his ear: ‘Remember the home run Clemente hit?’ he’s likely to jump as high as if he’d been caught putting spit on baseballs.”

“Roberto Clemente scores 2 knockouts: Drysdale in 8, Dodgers in 9.” Clemente’s 9th-inning liner over the head of second baseman Nate Oliver, his third hit of the game, brings home Gene Alley with the winning run. Visiting beat writer Frank Finch reports: “The crowd of 11,071 figured L.A. had won another one when the Californians reeled off six straight hits with two out in the 6th to take a 3 – 1 lead, but starter Don Drysdale and reliever Ron Perranoski failed to contain the battling Buccos down the stretch. After pitching his way out of several earlier jams, Drysdale was yanked in the 8th when Bill Virdon singled and reached third on Clemente’s double. Perranoski (4-6) came in to whiff the dangerous Jerry Lynch, then wild-pitched Virdon across the plate… Perranoski gave up a score-tying home run to Jim Pagliaroni in the last of the 9th and a single to Ducky Schofield to set the stage for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning single.”

“Roberto Clemente scores 2 knockouts: Drysdale in 8, Dodgers in 9.” Clemente’s 9th-inning liner over the head of second baseman Nate Oliver, his third hit of the game, brings home Gene Alley with the winning run. Visiting beat writer Frank Finch reports: “The crowd of 11,071 figured L.A. had won another one when the Californians reeled off six straight hits with two out in the 6th to take a 3 – 1 lead, but starter Don Drysdale and reliever Ron Perranoski failed to contain the battling Buccos down the stretch. After pitching his way out of several earlier jams, Drysdale was yanked in the 8th when Bill Virdon singled and reached third on Clemente’s double. Perranoski (4-6) came in to whiff the dangerous Jerry Lynch, then wild-pitched Virdon across the plate… Perranoski gave up a score-tying home run to Jim Pagliaroni in the last of the 9th and a single to Ducky Schofield to set the stage for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning single.”

1967 – In a last-inning loss by the Pirates to the last-place Astros, Roberto Clemente undresses Astros catcher John Bateman. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press documents their 1st-inning encounter: “Rusty Staub tried in vain to make a pick-up of Clemente’s pop single. The ball eluded Staub and Joe Morgan had to chase it so coach Alex Grammas gave Clemente the green light. Chuck Harrison relayed to John Bateman but Clemente hit him hard, knocked the ball loose and touched the plate with the second run.” By the time of his next encounter with the shell-shocked young receiver, Clemente has apparently been apprised of the fact that baseball is in fact not a contact sport; the one-time prospective Olympian reaches back into his track and field repertoire and executes a Willie Mays-like manoeuver: “Clemente beat out a high hopper with one gone in the 6th, took third on Bill Mazeroski’s single and showed the fans how to run the bases after Manny Mota bounced to Harrison. Bateman had the ball to tag Clemente but Clemente waited until Bateman made his move, then jumped over him and touched home plate with his hand.”

1967 – In a last-inning loss by the Pirates to the last-place Astros, Roberto Clemente undresses Astros catcher John Bateman. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press documents their 1st-inning encounter: “Rusty Staub tried in vain to make a pick-up of Clemente’s pop single. The ball eluded Staub and Joe Morgan had to chase it so coach Alex Grammas gave Clemente the green light. Chuck Harrison relayed to John Bateman but Clemente hit him hard, knocked the ball loose and touched the plate with the second run.” By the time of his next encounter with the shell-shocked young receiver, Clemente has apparently been apprised of the fact that baseball is in fact not a contact sport; the one-time prospective Olympian reaches back into his track and field repertoire and executes a Willie Mays-like manoeuver: “Clemente beat out a high hopper with one gone in the 6th, took third on Bill Mazeroski’s single and showed the fans how to run the bases after Manny Mota bounced to Harrison. Bateman had the ball to tag Clemente but Clemente waited until Bateman made his move, then jumped over him and touched home plate with his hand.”