“Clemente’s Brilliant Catch in 9th Kills Rally by Braves.” May 4 1955
“Clemente’s Brilliant Catch in 9th Kills Rally by Braves.” So reads the New York Times headline but that’s not the whole story. Clemente’s game-ending circus catch not only secures Pittsburgh’s 5 – 4 victory, it also bails out the main protagonist after his errant throw put the tying and go-ahead runs on 2nd and 3rd base. And who should walk to the plate at this moment but George Crowe, Clemente’s teammate and fellow Caribbean Champion with the Santurce Crabbers just three months earlier. As the Milwaukee Journal tells it: “Crowe, who had replaced the slump-ridden Joe Adcock at first base, pasted the ball against the remote grandstand not far from the right field foul line, only to have young Roberto Clemente race over and time his leap perfectly as he scraped the ball off the wall with his gloved hand.”