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Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero
Baseball great, family man, humanitarian—the life and enduring legacy of Roberto Clemente, as told by his family.
With a swift bat and fierce athleticism, Roberto Clemente intimidated major league pitchers for eighteen seasons, compiling three thousand hits. His legs were among the quickest of his era. His throwing arm was one of the strongest, gunning down base runners from right field with incredible frequency. He would spend a career fighting for respect and finally achieve it after a historic World Series performance and a second half of a career that would have him mentioned with greats like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle.
But what Roberto Clemente did off the field made him an equally great humanitarian. One of the first athletes who understood how the power of sports could be used to transform not just a handful of lives but many thousands of them, he would die following his heart and conscience by helping others. Clemente was on an aircraft loaded with supplies for an earthquake-stricken Nicaragua when the plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Forty years after that tragic day, the widow and sons of this regal athlete and consummate humanitarian open up for the first time about the husband and father they lost. Featuring an extensive array of rare and never-before-seen photos of Clemente on the field and off, this powerful memoir tells his inspiring story from the voices of those who knew him best.
INCLUDES PHOTOS
With a swift bat and fierce athleticism, Roberto Clemente intimidated major league pitchers for eighteen seasons, compiling three thousand hits. His legs were among the quickest of his era. His throwing arm was one of the strongest, gunning down base runners from right field with incredible frequency. He would spend a career fighting for respect and finally achieve it after a historic World Series performance and a second half of a career that would have him mentioned with greats like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle.
But what Roberto Clemente did off the field made him an equally great humanitarian. One of the first athletes who understood how the power of sports could be used to transform not just a handful of lives but many thousands of them, he would die following his heart and conscience by helping others. Clemente was on an aircraft loaded with supplies for an earthquake-stricken Nicaragua when the plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Forty years after that tragic day, the widow and sons of this regal athlete and consummate humanitarian open up for the first time about the husband and father they lost. Featuring an extensive array of rare and never-before-seen photos of Clemente on the field and off, this powerful memoir tells his inspiring story from the voices of those who knew him best.
INCLUDES PHOTOS
262 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
9 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 19, 2017
With Hispanic Heritage Month officially getting underway on September 15, I wanted to pay homage to baseball's Latino star players. Earlier in the month I attempted to readPlaying America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color Line by Adrian Burgos, which ended up being a reference book and left me desiring a book which spoke to the passion and flair that is the Latino brand of baseball. As Major League Baseball recently announced its finalists for the Clemente award, I decided on Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero that the Clemente family edited as a labor of love, honoring the memory of their father and husband.
Most current baseball fans, myself included, are familiar with the story that now takes on mythological proportions. Pirates star Roberto Clemente, who recently recorded his 3,000 hit, was about to embark on an humanitarian mission to Nicaragua to aid victims of a recent earthquake. After boarding a DC-7 cargo carrier in San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 31, 1972, the plane took off almost immediately, killing its five passengers, Clemente included. He had always told his wife Vera that he lived his life to the fullest because he knew that he was going to die young. Before the crash, he had been having premonitions that something would go wrong with his plane, yet having raised thousands of both dollars and aid for the earthquake victims, he went ahead with his mission as planned. Vera was left a widow with three young sons who did not know their father. Over forty years later, she is still carrying out Roberto's mission as both a Latino baseball ambassador and good Samaritan all-star, having chosen never to remarry. Her sons say that in many ways, their mother is still married to their father, and this showed through at this year's major league baseball game in Miami, which honored the Clementes as Hispanic baseball pioneers.
While Clemente is known for his average, two MVP awards and world series titles as well as his flair in which he played right field, few know the prejudices he faced when he first arrived in organized baseball. First signed by the Dodgers, Clemente as a nineteen year old not knowing the language was assigned to their Montreal farm club. Receiving little playing time, he was drafted by the Pirates the following year and then became their starting right fielder for the next sixteen years. He played through various injuries and ailments that today's superstars would sit out because he realized that he was playing for all Hispanic ballplayers, facing the additional prejudice of having dark skin color. Clemente faced similar challenges as Jackie Robinson and met them with the same dignity, even meeting Dr. Martin Luther King and joining forces on a number of dialogues and conferences to better people of all walks of life.
While this book tells Clemente's story, it is also a pictorial account of his and provides glimpses of the man off of the ball field that few knew. Vera includes pictures of their courtship and wedding as well as of their life together Puerto Rico. There are numerous photographs of Clemente during his ball playing days; however, I was more interested in Clemente the person and how he came to be an ambassador for goodwill. His sons have tried to carry out their father's legacy, but in the Pirates organization two of the sons never made it past the minors. A neighbor from Puerto Rico did make it to the Pirates, Orlando Merced who grew up in the Clemente home and played in the majors for thirteen years. The name Clemente still carries godlike status in Puerto Rico as children, schools, roads, and even the airport have been named for him. Likewise, in Hispanic communities in the United States, there are numerous institutions named for Clemente, the trail blazing ball player and all around all star individual.
In 2002, President George W Bush awarded Clemente with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor to a civilian. There has been a push around Major League Baseball by the Hispanic community to retire Clemente's number 21 in the same regard as Jackie Robinson's 42. Both were larger than the game itself, facing numerous challenges so that today's generation of superstars can play the game with their unique style and flair. They both met these obstacles with the same magnanimous results and should be equally honored. One current star said it would be a greater honor to win the Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best gives back to his community, than to win most valuable player of his league. I thank Vera Clemente and sons Luis, Roberto Jr, and Ricky for compiling this book as it is a fitting and telling memory of Roberto Clemente, the ballplayer and person.
5 stars
Most current baseball fans, myself included, are familiar with the story that now takes on mythological proportions. Pirates star Roberto Clemente, who recently recorded his 3,000 hit, was about to embark on an humanitarian mission to Nicaragua to aid victims of a recent earthquake. After boarding a DC-7 cargo carrier in San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 31, 1972, the plane took off almost immediately, killing its five passengers, Clemente included. He had always told his wife Vera that he lived his life to the fullest because he knew that he was going to die young. Before the crash, he had been having premonitions that something would go wrong with his plane, yet having raised thousands of both dollars and aid for the earthquake victims, he went ahead with his mission as planned. Vera was left a widow with three young sons who did not know their father. Over forty years later, she is still carrying out Roberto's mission as both a Latino baseball ambassador and good Samaritan all-star, having chosen never to remarry. Her sons say that in many ways, their mother is still married to their father, and this showed through at this year's major league baseball game in Miami, which honored the Clementes as Hispanic baseball pioneers.
While Clemente is known for his average, two MVP awards and world series titles as well as his flair in which he played right field, few know the prejudices he faced when he first arrived in organized baseball. First signed by the Dodgers, Clemente as a nineteen year old not knowing the language was assigned to their Montreal farm club. Receiving little playing time, he was drafted by the Pirates the following year and then became their starting right fielder for the next sixteen years. He played through various injuries and ailments that today's superstars would sit out because he realized that he was playing for all Hispanic ballplayers, facing the additional prejudice of having dark skin color. Clemente faced similar challenges as Jackie Robinson and met them with the same dignity, even meeting Dr. Martin Luther King and joining forces on a number of dialogues and conferences to better people of all walks of life.
While this book tells Clemente's story, it is also a pictorial account of his and provides glimpses of the man off of the ball field that few knew. Vera includes pictures of their courtship and wedding as well as of their life together Puerto Rico. There are numerous photographs of Clemente during his ball playing days; however, I was more interested in Clemente the person and how he came to be an ambassador for goodwill. His sons have tried to carry out their father's legacy, but in the Pirates organization two of the sons never made it past the minors. A neighbor from Puerto Rico did make it to the Pirates, Orlando Merced who grew up in the Clemente home and played in the majors for thirteen years. The name Clemente still carries godlike status in Puerto Rico as children, schools, roads, and even the airport have been named for him. Likewise, in Hispanic communities in the United States, there are numerous institutions named for Clemente, the trail blazing ball player and all around all star individual.
In 2002, President George W Bush awarded Clemente with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor to a civilian. There has been a push around Major League Baseball by the Hispanic community to retire Clemente's number 21 in the same regard as Jackie Robinson's 42. Both were larger than the game itself, facing numerous challenges so that today's generation of superstars can play the game with their unique style and flair. They both met these obstacles with the same magnanimous results and should be equally honored. One current star said it would be a greater honor to win the Clemente Award, given annually to the player who best gives back to his community, than to win most valuable player of his league. I thank Vera Clemente and sons Luis, Roberto Jr, and Ricky for compiling this book as it is a fitting and telling memory of Roberto Clemente, the ballplayer and person.
5 stars
January 5, 2016
“Clemente, The True Legacy of an Undying Hero” by The Clemente Family, published by Celebra.
Category – Sports/Baseball Publication Date – September 24, 2013.
One would be tempted to say that this book would be of interest to only those who knew Roberto Clemente and were interested in baseball and specifically the Pittsburgh Pirates but Roberto Clemente transcended both the sport and the Pirates.
The book gives a condensed version of his life. It tells of his beginnings in Puerto Rico and working his way to the Major Leagues. It is a story of his love for his fellow man regardless of race, color, or creed. Clemente was always ready to help those in need and did so with very little notoriety. Clemente was a family man who took great pride and joy in his wife and children. Clemente, although a Hall of Fame player, may best be known for his death. He was in a fatal plane crash while attempting to deliver much needed supplies to the people of Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake.
This book is a wonderful read with many photographs, unfortunately the people in the photos are not identified and will leave wondering who they were, especially the players on the Pittsburgh Pirates teams and does one remember the Old Gunner Bob Prince.
Category – Sports/Baseball Publication Date – September 24, 2013.
One would be tempted to say that this book would be of interest to only those who knew Roberto Clemente and were interested in baseball and specifically the Pittsburgh Pirates but Roberto Clemente transcended both the sport and the Pirates.
The book gives a condensed version of his life. It tells of his beginnings in Puerto Rico and working his way to the Major Leagues. It is a story of his love for his fellow man regardless of race, color, or creed. Clemente was always ready to help those in need and did so with very little notoriety. Clemente was a family man who took great pride and joy in his wife and children. Clemente, although a Hall of Fame player, may best be known for his death. He was in a fatal plane crash while attempting to deliver much needed supplies to the people of Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake.
This book is a wonderful read with many photographs, unfortunately the people in the photos are not identified and will leave wondering who they were, especially the players on the Pittsburgh Pirates teams and does one remember the Old Gunner Bob Prince.
March 25, 2019
Este libro cuenta la historia de Roberto Clemente, pero no se trata de una biografía convencional, sino que son sus familiares (su viuda, Vera y sus tres hijos: Roberto, Ricky y Luis), los que narran su historia a partes de sus propios puntos de vista .
Roberto Clemente nació en 1934, en puerto Rico, y con solo veintiún años de edad, en 1955, se unió al equipo de Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente destacó desde el primer momento en el béisbol y se llegó a convertir en uno de los jugadores más importantes de toda la historia de este deporte y uno de los jugadores dominantes de las grandes ligas de aquel momento.
Roberto no lo tuvo nada fácil debido al racismo que había en aquella época, ya que el era un hombre negro. Por este motivo también dejó de recibir muchos premios que realmente merecía, ya que llego a conseguir el gran número de tres mil "hits" o golpeos, y solo diez jugadores en toda la historia lo han conseguido. Y debido también al racismo, los medios de comunicación no le dieron importancia hasta 1971.
A parte de la gran huella que Roberto Clemente dejó en la historia del béisbol, él también tuvo gran importancia a nivel social y siempre intentó ayudar a los más necesitados, de hecho, murió en un vuelo de un avión que iba con destino NIcaragua con suministros para ayudar a reparar los daños de un terremoto.
El libro me ha parecido muy interesante, y una de las cosas que más me ha llamado la atención es una frase célebre del protagonista del libro, el cual decís; "Si tienes la oportunidad de ayudar a alguien y no lo haces, estás perdiendo tu tiempo aquí en la tierra". Lo he valorado con cuatro estrellas ya que realmente creo que es un libro que me ha gustado, y me ha sorprendido para bien.
Roberto Clemente nació en 1934, en puerto Rico, y con solo veintiún años de edad, en 1955, se unió al equipo de Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente destacó desde el primer momento en el béisbol y se llegó a convertir en uno de los jugadores más importantes de toda la historia de este deporte y uno de los jugadores dominantes de las grandes ligas de aquel momento.
Roberto no lo tuvo nada fácil debido al racismo que había en aquella época, ya que el era un hombre negro. Por este motivo también dejó de recibir muchos premios que realmente merecía, ya que llego a conseguir el gran número de tres mil "hits" o golpeos, y solo diez jugadores en toda la historia lo han conseguido. Y debido también al racismo, los medios de comunicación no le dieron importancia hasta 1971.
A parte de la gran huella que Roberto Clemente dejó en la historia del béisbol, él también tuvo gran importancia a nivel social y siempre intentó ayudar a los más necesitados, de hecho, murió en un vuelo de un avión que iba con destino NIcaragua con suministros para ayudar a reparar los daños de un terremoto.
El libro me ha parecido muy interesante, y una de las cosas que más me ha llamado la atención es una frase célebre del protagonista del libro, el cual decís; "Si tienes la oportunidad de ayudar a alguien y no lo haces, estás perdiendo tu tiempo aquí en la tierra". Lo he valorado con cuatro estrellas ya que realmente creo que es un libro que me ha gustado, y me ha sorprendido para bien.
January 9, 2014
This is not a biography. It's a book filled with memories from his family and closest friends. It's full of never before seen photographs, too. It's hard to be a baseball fan and not fall in love with Roberto Clemente. He wasn't the first Latin baseball player, but he was the best. He's so much more than just a ballplayer. He's a humanitarian who cared about people. He was a man of honor, who also happened to be a remarkable baseball player.
July 24, 2016
This book had a lot of great quotes from family members and GORGEOUS photos but serves better as a supplement to a more extensive Clemente biography than as a standalone volume. Maraniss's biography of Clemente is still the gold standard of these books, as far as I'm concerned.
December 10, 2018
This was a solid biography that offered a unique angle because it was written by Roberto's family members. However, the book didn't really follow a timeline and zigzagged back and forth between parts of Roberto's life which made the book difficult to follow.
June 1, 2015
Review title: From the land of Roberto Clemente
In the world of sports celebrities, I think it is a safe bet that none is so universally loved and is so richly deserving of that love than Roberto Clemente. Yes, he died young and tragically still at the peak of his skills and became an instant legend, an.honor and weight that sometimes makes realistic appraisal impossible in light of his beloved legacy. But even 40 years after his death no secret life of shame, no tell-all biography of the "real" Roberto has come to light, even in the instant-history era of the internet. We can only conclude then, with his family in this adulatory book of interviews and pictures, that Roberto Clemente really was and remains "The Great One", baseball's last hero as he is subtitled in David Maraniss's biography.
This is not a biography (go to Maraniss if that is what you are looking for) but a memorial by his wife Vera and their three sons, now middle-aged men who have found their own way in life after losing the father their only knew through the eyes of little children. They are honest in expressing the pain of losing a father and husband and feeling the guilt and pressure of being the living heirs and the left behind to deal with those who wanted something from Roberto, even if just the remembrance of fandom in Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico.
The book also includes dozens of photographs, most of them obviously unstaged candids that reveal Roberto, Vera and the boys on and off the field. For a fan the photos are fascinating as they show the broad shoulders and narrow waist of a natural athlete, and a strikingly handsome man utterly composed and alert in every picture. He is always observant, never surprised, in any of these pictures.
Surprise would come only in tragedy, at the moment that sealed his fate and legend forever, and left his family to carry the weight of fate and the light of legacy onward. They have carried it well. As the family says of people from Puerto Rico, "When they say they are from Puerto Rico, they say they are from the land of Roberto Clemente.". That is a true legacy.
In the world of sports celebrities, I think it is a safe bet that none is so universally loved and is so richly deserving of that love than Roberto Clemente. Yes, he died young and tragically still at the peak of his skills and became an instant legend, an.honor and weight that sometimes makes realistic appraisal impossible in light of his beloved legacy. But even 40 years after his death no secret life of shame, no tell-all biography of the "real" Roberto has come to light, even in the instant-history era of the internet. We can only conclude then, with his family in this adulatory book of interviews and pictures, that Roberto Clemente really was and remains "The Great One", baseball's last hero as he is subtitled in David Maraniss's biography.
This is not a biography (go to Maraniss if that is what you are looking for) but a memorial by his wife Vera and their three sons, now middle-aged men who have found their own way in life after losing the father their only knew through the eyes of little children. They are honest in expressing the pain of losing a father and husband and feeling the guilt and pressure of being the living heirs and the left behind to deal with those who wanted something from Roberto, even if just the remembrance of fandom in Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico.
The book also includes dozens of photographs, most of them obviously unstaged candids that reveal Roberto, Vera and the boys on and off the field. For a fan the photos are fascinating as they show the broad shoulders and narrow waist of a natural athlete, and a strikingly handsome man utterly composed and alert in every picture. He is always observant, never surprised, in any of these pictures.
Surprise would come only in tragedy, at the moment that sealed his fate and legend forever, and left his family to carry the weight of fate and the light of legacy onward. They have carried it well. As the family says of people from Puerto Rico, "When they say they are from Puerto Rico, they say they are from the land of Roberto Clemente.". That is a true legacy.
January 26, 2014
This is a must read... It is a compilation of stories & thoughts from Roberto's Family and closest friends. He was so much more than a Baseball player, and the book lets us know Roberto the man. Coming to Pittsburgh in the 1950's had to be daunting... a black man with a language barrier, coming to a town that for all intents and purposes was still segregated. He paved the way for Latin ballplayers, which virtually changed the game. The book is filled with so many special pictures. My 3 favorites are The back view of Roberto & his sons in Pirate uniforms... Roberto on 2nd base after his 3000 hit - the proud Roberto. This is the image I will never forget... and lastly Roberto Jr. kissing a picture of his Father. Clemente was the hero of my youth. I am a die hard Pittsburgh Pirate fan and love the game of Baseball. Living in Pittsburgh I was fortunate to see him play... Poetry in motion is how one would describe him. He didn't play for a BIG market team, so many people never witness his greatness... until the 1971 World Series. And what a show he put on.... I was never so proud and elated for him. I still get tears in my eyes today when I think of him. I couldn't wait to get the book. It was a bittersweet read...
November 17, 2015
There are some lovely anecdotes about Clemente's life told by his family, teammates, and friends, and the book is full of pictures (half of the book is comprised of uncaptioned photographs), but I wanted more. I think this is a wonderful supplementary resource to the biography by Davis Maraniss, but you should definitely read more about Clemente or have some knowledge of the man, his career, and his legacy before reading this book.
March 28, 2014
This is a touching tribute to Roberto Clemente by his family. The book is filled with stories of the good deeds Roberto did in his too short life. It's also filled with some amazing photographs of him as a player and with his family. The world was truly robbed of a great person when he died.
November 10, 2016
This book is a great collection of photographs (well reproduced) of the Great One, Roberto Clemente. Besides the great photos, this book is also special because includes so many comments from Vera and Roberto's sons.
November 12, 2013
Beautifully done.
November 7, 2014
Collection of pictures that is stunning in both quantity and quality. Could have used some captions. Story of Clemente isn't new, but first-person account make it more personal & intimate.
November 29, 2016
An intimate account on the perspective of the Clemente Family and friends of Roberto Clemente.
Great book for those who want to get to know who Roberto Clemente was outside of baseball.
Great book for those who want to get to know who Roberto Clemente was outside of baseball.
April 10, 2017
A great book for any baseball fan. Reading through this book is like looking at a picture book but with wonderful quotes and interesting stories mixed in. Highly recommended for any Pittsburgh and Clemente fan!
May 9, 2018
A humanitarian above all else. Who used baseball as a conduit to help any and everyone that needed a helping hand. Upon hearing about his death a nun replied." God called Roberto to the ocean so he could spread his good will to more people.".
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews