In 1958 Roberto Clemente tried on a different kind of uniform the uniform of the United State Marine Corp, Clemente got an early release in 1959 and played on the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 (file photo mlbforlife.com)

Hispanic Heritage Month: Roberto Clemente was a Patriot

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

This month is designated as Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. September 30, will mark the 49th anniversary of Roberto Clemente last at bat in 1972, and with his final at bat with the defending World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates he doubled to left-center field at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, off Mets lefty Jon Matlack, marking this double his 3,000 hit of his stellar career.

Three months later (almost to the day) he chartered a DC-7 plane (from San Juan, Puerto Rico) an airplane filled with help to the people suffering in Managua, Nicaragua of a devastating earthquake. Traveling to another country, to help people he didn’t know and for that he gave his life. The ultimate humanitarian.

Aside from a true gentleman and member of the MLB Hall of Fame, many might ignore that Roberto Clemente was also a Patriot. During the 1958 and 1959 off-season Clemente enlisted in the United States Marines Corps and served during the off-seasons until 1964.

He was also exalted into the US Marines Corps Sports Hall of Fame, posthumously (this Hall of Fame was established in 2001). Born In Carolina, Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente was a man of great discipline and dedication to whatever endeavor he chose to take part.

One of the great baseball awards, one that all players unanimously agree is a great honor, has nothing to do with baseball statistics or on-the-field performance, but of community and human nature. The Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award exemplifies sportsmanship, community involvement and the player individual contribution to his team, voted by baseball fans and members of the media.

Each of the 30 teams nominates a player, here in the Bay Area, the Oakland Athletics nominated Tony Kemp and the San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford. Later a panel of baseball dignitaries selects one winner. The winner is announced at the World Series in front of a national television audience.

During an interview in 2020 that I conducted with Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen, who knew Clemente and played with him, about the story that he was going to Managua, Nicaragua, with Roberto Clemente on that DC-7 chartered plane he said that was not true.

But he did talk to Roberto before he left from San Juan, Puerto Rico, but Sanguillen tells me he was not planning to go, Clemente had a lot of friends with him, he was always surrounded by people. He learned about the plane crash from Luis Mayoral, a veteran sports journalist and broadcaster born in Puerto Rico.

Manny Sanguillen (quote) “Clemente told me once, if we make it to a World Series, I will take care of everything”. He did, in 1971 Clemente hit .411 won the World Series MVP like Bill Blass, who pitched a complete game seven to clinch it for the Pirates said after the game about Roberto: “Clemente did it all”.

Roberto Clemente had to work very hard to become the player he was; at the time when he played there was still much racism in the game. Clemente was a Latino of dark skin and that was enough for many (not all) to never give the man the credit he deserved.

As I was covering a game at Candlestick Park in 1972, for El Mundo Newspaper of Oakland and during his last season, I remember inside the press box after Clemente struck out, a loud voice was heard saying “send him back in a banana boat”. It happened, I heard it, but that was part of those years in baseball, not to mention many more much difficult years in the late 1950’s when he first broke into the game.

Today the Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award is one of the most coveted awards given to a player in Major League Baseball. The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame always informs during exhibits and inductions all over the country at baseball parks, libraries or community events and the name of Roberto Clemente still at the top of one of the most remember players by baseball fans alike all over the world.

Note: The US Marines Corps Sports Hall of Fame is located in Quantico, Virginia. There are various baseball players in their Hall of Fame, including Ted Williams, Gil Hodges, Jerry Coleman as well as Roberto Clemente. Also many in a variety of other sports, like Ken Norton (Boxing) and Lee Trevino (Golf).

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com