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Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero
Knowledgeable baseball fans know at least three things about Roberto Clemente. 1. He ended his major league playing career with exactly 3,000 hits. 2. He was the first Latino player to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 3. He died in a 1972 plane crash en route to delivering aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims. David Marannis's Clemente presents the first truly full-scale biography of this great athlete and humanitarian.
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2006
194 people are currently reading
5067 people want to read
About the author
David Maraniss
28 books369 followersDavid Maraniss is an associate editor at The Washington Post and the author of four critically acclaimed and bestselling books, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton, They Marched Into Sunlight War and Peace, Vietnam and America October 1967, and Clemente The Passion and Grace of Baseballs Last Hero. He is also the author of The Clinton Enigma and coauthor of The Prince of Tennessee: Al Gore Meets His Fate and "Tell Newt to Shut Up!"
David is a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and won the Pulitzer for national reporting in 1993 for his newspaper coverage of then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton. He has won several other notable awards for achievements in journalism, including the George Polk Award, the Dirksen Prize for Congressional Reporting, the ASNE Laventhol Prize for Deadline Writing, the Hancock Prize for Financial Writing, the Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the Frankfort Book Prize, the Eagleton Book Prize, the Ambassador Book Prize, and Latino Book Prize.
"
David is a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and won the Pulitzer for national reporting in 1993 for his newspaper coverage of then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton. He has won several other notable awards for achievements in journalism, including the George Polk Award, the Dirksen Prize for Congressional Reporting, the ASNE Laventhol Prize for Deadline Writing, the Hancock Prize for Financial Writing, the Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the Frankfort Book Prize, the Eagleton Book Prize, the Ambassador Book Prize, and Latino Book Prize.
"
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August 18, 2020
Happy Birthday, Roberto Clemente. Today you would have been 86. Baseball still misses you!
We are in the midst of a global health crisis and told to stay home. Every place I would normally go is closed from the car wash to my most important errand of the weekend: the library. I look forward to my trips to the library all week but for the time being, borrowing books is not an option, so I am using this quality time to read the neglected books on my home shelves. During this pandemic, we have been told that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. On that note, I started my trip through my book shelves by reading about a Puerto Rican national hero, Roberto Clemente Walker.
Roberto Clemente was born to Melchor and Luisa Clemente of Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934. The world was in the midst of a financial depression but Melchor still went to work in the sugar cane fields, and Luisa was responsible for feeding his team of workers. Young Roberto was told to tag along with his brothers Andres and Martino, and often their escapades included baseball. It was obvious from a young age that Roberto possessed the skills to surpass them all, even the big three of the island- Hiram Bithorn, Luis Olmo, and Vic Power- who had made it to the major leagues. Roberto came of age after the integration of Major League Baseball and idolized Monte Irvin, a Puerto Rican who played on the New York Giants alongside Willie Mays. Both the Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers coveted Clemente, but the Dodgers signed him specifically so that he would not be in the same outfield and lineup as Mays. With many Puerto Ricans already calling New York home in the early 1950s, Clemente was excited to begin his professional baseball career playing in New York for the Dodgers; however, with New York being the capital of baseball and the Dodgers having many stars on their roster, Clemente would only come to New York as a visiting ball player.
During the 1950s rosters had unspoken quotas of African American and Hispanic players. Clemente possessed all the skills to become the best of the best, even better than Mantle and Mays, but he faced the dual racism of being both Puerto Rican and having black skin. At the time, the stereotype was that Hispanics were lazy and most rosters only had one or two players on their roster. Unless they had a cannon for an arm or an impeccable batting eye like Clemente did, few Hispanics stuck on major league rosters until later in the 1950s. Although the “token” minority on the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first half of his career, Clemente was such a star that even management could not provide a reason to keep him out of the lineup for long. He was a young player on the 1960 championship team and a leader on the 1971 team that was the first to be comprised of an all minority starting lineup. What was clear was that he could flat out hit, hitting safely in all fourteen World Series games that he played in. Winning four batting titles and multiple gold gloves, Clemente resided in the rare air of the upper echelon of baseball players.
Clemente exhibited a strong pride in himself and paved the way for generations of Latino ball players, the way Jackie Robinson did for African Americans. Often misunderstood by reporters and met with prejudice, Clemente always played with a chip on his shoulder. Yet, he had time for everyone from the staff in the training room to scores of fans in both Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh. Maraniss cites visits to children in hospitals at every national league city, donating his time and money to causes throughout Puerto Rico, and befriending fans simply because he was a caring person. The stories of Nancy Golding and Carol Rauch stand out, but Maraniss writes that Clemente acted this way toward all that he met, on his way to becoming the pride of his country. He had grandiose plans to open a baseball city for children in Puerto Rico and to start a chiropractic spa on his home property as he gave selflessly. That he managed to play winter ball and still played at the top of his game for eighteen seasons, averaging over .310 on his way to 3000 hits speaks to the quality of his character. As the title of the book notes, Clemente was a true hero.
Maraniss devotes the last quarter of the book to the earthquake in Nicaragua and Clemente’s quest to provide humanitarian aid to the country. Clemente could have been an actual prophet as he foresaw that he would die young and once dreamed that he was in a plane crash and would be the only one who died. He told his wife Vera that she should remarry so that she wouldn’t have to live alone as though he knew that his humanitarian mission would result in his death. Puerto Rican historian Eliot Castro notes that after the plane crash, Clemente ceased to live and now belonged to the people. He was immediately inducted into baseball’s hall of fame in 1973, and countless schools, streets, and everything in between is named for him in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, and in Hispanic neighborhoods throughout the Americas. During the 2016 all star game in Miami, Major League Baseball honored Vera Clemente and her sons for her husband’s role in paving the way for generations of Hispanic ball players. He was a true pioneer and a hero to the countless Hispanic players who play baseball today. The ultimate honor would be retiring his number #21 the way Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson’s #42. Someday it could still happen.
Heroes come in all stripes. Today’s heroes could be doctors and grocery store workers as much as athletes and movie stars. Baseball has recognized Roberto Clemente as a hero, naming its man of the year award for him, given to the player who has carried on his work by giving back to his community. This year it will be tough to choose as during this pandemic Major League Baseball has donated millions to assist on the front lines, with players giving back at unprecedented levels on a daily basis. I have a feeling that with his huge heart and unlimited capacity to give to others, Roberto Clemente in his passion and grace would approve of baseball’s role in this current crisis, may it end soon.
5 stars ✨ 🏴☠️ ⚾️🇵🇷 ✨
We are in the midst of a global health crisis and told to stay home. Every place I would normally go is closed from the car wash to my most important errand of the weekend: the library. I look forward to my trips to the library all week but for the time being, borrowing books is not an option, so I am using this quality time to read the neglected books on my home shelves. During this pandemic, we have been told that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. On that note, I started my trip through my book shelves by reading about a Puerto Rican national hero, Roberto Clemente Walker.
Roberto Clemente was born to Melchor and Luisa Clemente of Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934. The world was in the midst of a financial depression but Melchor still went to work in the sugar cane fields, and Luisa was responsible for feeding his team of workers. Young Roberto was told to tag along with his brothers Andres and Martino, and often their escapades included baseball. It was obvious from a young age that Roberto possessed the skills to surpass them all, even the big three of the island- Hiram Bithorn, Luis Olmo, and Vic Power- who had made it to the major leagues. Roberto came of age after the integration of Major League Baseball and idolized Monte Irvin, a Puerto Rican who played on the New York Giants alongside Willie Mays. Both the Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers coveted Clemente, but the Dodgers signed him specifically so that he would not be in the same outfield and lineup as Mays. With many Puerto Ricans already calling New York home in the early 1950s, Clemente was excited to begin his professional baseball career playing in New York for the Dodgers; however, with New York being the capital of baseball and the Dodgers having many stars on their roster, Clemente would only come to New York as a visiting ball player.
During the 1950s rosters had unspoken quotas of African American and Hispanic players. Clemente possessed all the skills to become the best of the best, even better than Mantle and Mays, but he faced the dual racism of being both Puerto Rican and having black skin. At the time, the stereotype was that Hispanics were lazy and most rosters only had one or two players on their roster. Unless they had a cannon for an arm or an impeccable batting eye like Clemente did, few Hispanics stuck on major league rosters until later in the 1950s. Although the “token” minority on the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first half of his career, Clemente was such a star that even management could not provide a reason to keep him out of the lineup for long. He was a young player on the 1960 championship team and a leader on the 1971 team that was the first to be comprised of an all minority starting lineup. What was clear was that he could flat out hit, hitting safely in all fourteen World Series games that he played in. Winning four batting titles and multiple gold gloves, Clemente resided in the rare air of the upper echelon of baseball players.
Clemente exhibited a strong pride in himself and paved the way for generations of Latino ball players, the way Jackie Robinson did for African Americans. Often misunderstood by reporters and met with prejudice, Clemente always played with a chip on his shoulder. Yet, he had time for everyone from the staff in the training room to scores of fans in both Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh. Maraniss cites visits to children in hospitals at every national league city, donating his time and money to causes throughout Puerto Rico, and befriending fans simply because he was a caring person. The stories of Nancy Golding and Carol Rauch stand out, but Maraniss writes that Clemente acted this way toward all that he met, on his way to becoming the pride of his country. He had grandiose plans to open a baseball city for children in Puerto Rico and to start a chiropractic spa on his home property as he gave selflessly. That he managed to play winter ball and still played at the top of his game for eighteen seasons, averaging over .310 on his way to 3000 hits speaks to the quality of his character. As the title of the book notes, Clemente was a true hero.
Maraniss devotes the last quarter of the book to the earthquake in Nicaragua and Clemente’s quest to provide humanitarian aid to the country. Clemente could have been an actual prophet as he foresaw that he would die young and once dreamed that he was in a plane crash and would be the only one who died. He told his wife Vera that she should remarry so that she wouldn’t have to live alone as though he knew that his humanitarian mission would result in his death. Puerto Rican historian Eliot Castro notes that after the plane crash, Clemente ceased to live and now belonged to the people. He was immediately inducted into baseball’s hall of fame in 1973, and countless schools, streets, and everything in between is named for him in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, and in Hispanic neighborhoods throughout the Americas. During the 2016 all star game in Miami, Major League Baseball honored Vera Clemente and her sons for her husband’s role in paving the way for generations of Hispanic ball players. He was a true pioneer and a hero to the countless Hispanic players who play baseball today. The ultimate honor would be retiring his number #21 the way Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson’s #42. Someday it could still happen.
Heroes come in all stripes. Today’s heroes could be doctors and grocery store workers as much as athletes and movie stars. Baseball has recognized Roberto Clemente as a hero, naming its man of the year award for him, given to the player who has carried on his work by giving back to his community. This year it will be tough to choose as during this pandemic Major League Baseball has donated millions to assist on the front lines, with players giving back at unprecedented levels on a daily basis. I have a feeling that with his huge heart and unlimited capacity to give to others, Roberto Clemente in his passion and grace would approve of baseball’s role in this current crisis, may it end soon.
5 stars ✨ 🏴☠️ ⚾️🇵🇷 ✨
December 24, 2019
Clemente by David Maraniss
This biography was written by the Pulitzer acclaimed author David Maraniss. I previously read his biographies on Vince Lombardi and Bill Clinton. Both were 5 star material and I consider them amongst my favorites.
In this book on Clemente we learn early on about the racism that fueled Clemente beginning in the 1950’s in Puerto Rico and escalating in the Jim Crow era minor leagues in Florida. We hear of the rocket caliber arm in the outfield that brought him to Branch Rickey’s attention and a subsequent contract with the Pirates. We see his less than meteoric (but eventual) rise to the pinnacle of the sport. We learn of his leading the Pirates to multiple World Series Championships, his winning multiple gold gloves and all those all star appearances. We hear how his pride and difficulty with sports reporters, who would chide him about his bad grammar, often sent him into fits of apoplexy and profanity laced tirades. We learn of the temper that at one point leads to his breaking a fan’s face with a punch, with very little provocation. But we also learn about his undying support of causes for both Puerto Rico and Latino baseball players and citizens as well. So a complicated man publicly.
As you may know Clemente died on December 31st, 1972 in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims. The two chapters that the author spends on the accident and the fallout are so well written. The Hall of Fame inducted Clemente just months after his death and this was quite an honor, waiving retirement requirements, which they had only afforded one other player and that was Lou Gehrig. It can be said that Clemente won over the white establishment by the end of his career. Even Richard Nixon said he was the best baseball player of his generation and there were some great ones. Clemente was the first Latino player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
4 stars. Very well written bio although not as rich and insightful as I was hoping. Unfortunately I really like origin stories and there is an understandable lack of depth on the author’s part in deciphering the language and culture of Puerto Rico that molded Roberto Clemente into such a highly motivated and overly prideful man. The baseball coverage around his hall of fame career was top notch as well as the coverage of his plane crash. I don’t even know if any American biographer could write a better bio on Clemente but there are simply some gaps in covering a man who passed away 40+ years ago and grew up in a different world.
This biography was written by the Pulitzer acclaimed author David Maraniss. I previously read his biographies on Vince Lombardi and Bill Clinton. Both were 5 star material and I consider them amongst my favorites.
In this book on Clemente we learn early on about the racism that fueled Clemente beginning in the 1950’s in Puerto Rico and escalating in the Jim Crow era minor leagues in Florida. We hear of the rocket caliber arm in the outfield that brought him to Branch Rickey’s attention and a subsequent contract with the Pirates. We see his less than meteoric (but eventual) rise to the pinnacle of the sport. We learn of his leading the Pirates to multiple World Series Championships, his winning multiple gold gloves and all those all star appearances. We hear how his pride and difficulty with sports reporters, who would chide him about his bad grammar, often sent him into fits of apoplexy and profanity laced tirades. We learn of the temper that at one point leads to his breaking a fan’s face with a punch, with very little provocation. But we also learn about his undying support of causes for both Puerto Rico and Latino baseball players and citizens as well. So a complicated man publicly.
As you may know Clemente died on December 31st, 1972 in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims. The two chapters that the author spends on the accident and the fallout are so well written. The Hall of Fame inducted Clemente just months after his death and this was quite an honor, waiving retirement requirements, which they had only afforded one other player and that was Lou Gehrig. It can be said that Clemente won over the white establishment by the end of his career. Even Richard Nixon said he was the best baseball player of his generation and there were some great ones. Clemente was the first Latino player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
4 stars. Very well written bio although not as rich and insightful as I was hoping. Unfortunately I really like origin stories and there is an understandable lack of depth on the author’s part in deciphering the language and culture of Puerto Rico that molded Roberto Clemente into such a highly motivated and overly prideful man. The baseball coverage around his hall of fame career was top notch as well as the coverage of his plane crash. I don’t even know if any American biographer could write a better bio on Clemente but there are simply some gaps in covering a man who passed away 40+ years ago and grew up in a different world.
June 9, 2022
Roberto Clemente is a legend. A 317 career batting average, 3000 hits, four N.L. batting titles, twelve gold gloves, 1966 National League MVP, 1971 World Series MVP, and the first Latino elected to the Hall of Fame — impressive as these statistics are they cannot capture Roberto's greatness. To try to capture Clemente this way, David Maraniss writes, "is like chemists trying to explain Van Gogh by analyzing the ingredients of his paint. Clemente was art, not science...it was hard to take one's eyes off him". Maraniss' biography of Clemente, (the first since shortly after he died) captures the many facets of this complex man who truly did live his life both on and off the diamond with passion and grace.
Where the earlier Clemente biographies, written shortly after he died, were little more that tributes and eulogies for the fallen hero, Maraniss writes of the man in all his complexity, and though he deservedly calls him a hero, he does not treat him as a saint. Notoriously thin skinned and prickly, Clemente had a career-long feud with the press. Though it was aggravated by the racism of the time, (Clemente was infuriated when the press would quote his interviews using phonetic spelling to capture his accent) and the language barrier, his sensitive personality, often perceiving slights where they were not intended, was likewise at fault. He was obsessed with his health and ailments, complaining constantly about his pain, and some accused him of being a goldbricker and a hypochondriac, yet he seemed to play at his best when in his greatest pain, and ended his career breaking the record for most games played in a Pirates uniform. He constantly and vociferously complained about how he did not get the recognition that he deserved, and played every game like it was the seventh game of the World Series.
Clemente was baseball's last hero, not just for his greatness on the field, but for his life off the baseball diamond. He constantly (and quietly) visited children in hospitals throughout his career, both in the states, and in his beloved Puerto Rico. He dreamed of building a sports city for the children of Puerto Rico (a dream fulfilled after his death). He paved the way for Latin players in the major league, and mentored many of them throughout his career. He once said, "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth", and he lived by that line. And of course, he died a hero's death, attempting to bring aid to victims of Nicaragua's earthquake. Steve Blass, Clemente's teammate, put it best - "The rest of us were just players - Clemente was a prince."
Maraniss has written a worthy biography that is more than just a sports book. The incredible character that Clemente was - the passionate grace with which he lived his life, and the heroic way in which he lost it should interest even those only marginally interested in baseball. I highly recommend it to all.
Where the earlier Clemente biographies, written shortly after he died, were little more that tributes and eulogies for the fallen hero, Maraniss writes of the man in all his complexity, and though he deservedly calls him a hero, he does not treat him as a saint. Notoriously thin skinned and prickly, Clemente had a career-long feud with the press. Though it was aggravated by the racism of the time, (Clemente was infuriated when the press would quote his interviews using phonetic spelling to capture his accent) and the language barrier, his sensitive personality, often perceiving slights where they were not intended, was likewise at fault. He was obsessed with his health and ailments, complaining constantly about his pain, and some accused him of being a goldbricker and a hypochondriac, yet he seemed to play at his best when in his greatest pain, and ended his career breaking the record for most games played in a Pirates uniform. He constantly and vociferously complained about how he did not get the recognition that he deserved, and played every game like it was the seventh game of the World Series.
Clemente was baseball's last hero, not just for his greatness on the field, but for his life off the baseball diamond. He constantly (and quietly) visited children in hospitals throughout his career, both in the states, and in his beloved Puerto Rico. He dreamed of building a sports city for the children of Puerto Rico (a dream fulfilled after his death). He paved the way for Latin players in the major league, and mentored many of them throughout his career. He once said, "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth", and he lived by that line. And of course, he died a hero's death, attempting to bring aid to victims of Nicaragua's earthquake. Steve Blass, Clemente's teammate, put it best - "The rest of us were just players - Clemente was a prince."
Maraniss has written a worthy biography that is more than just a sports book. The incredible character that Clemente was - the passionate grace with which he lived his life, and the heroic way in which he lost it should interest even those only marginally interested in baseball. I highly recommend it to all.
December 30, 2017
Beautiful story of a remarkable man
I knew little of Clemente the man before reading this book and only a bit more about him as a ball player - amazing throwing arm, great bad ball hitter, etc. But this book opened my eye to his depth and quality as a man and the lengths he went to to care for his home nation. Not only that, Maraniss wrote it brilliantly. It's one of the best biographies I've read.
I knew little of Clemente the man before reading this book and only a bit more about him as a ball player - amazing throwing arm, great bad ball hitter, etc. But this book opened my eye to his depth and quality as a man and the lengths he went to to care for his home nation. Not only that, Maraniss wrote it brilliantly. It's one of the best biographies I've read.
December 24, 2019
A book that just blew me away about a life and talent that was cut far too short.
August 7, 2013
Clemente, by David Maraniss, is an excellent biography of Roberto Clemente. I have admired Roberto Clemente since I was a child and I still believe he was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. I was a hugh baseball fan (Pirates fan) from about age 8 through my 20s. I was lucky enough to see Clemente play at Forbes Field a few times when my boys baseball program in Hollidaysburg, PA provided bus "field trips" to a game in Pittsburgh each summer. Later, during the first few years I was a undergraduate student at Pitt, I attended many Pirate games where we sat in the bleacher seats in left field for a few dollars. Forbes Field was on the Pitt campus during those years. In July 1970, the Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium and I attended a few games there although it was more expensive and not as convenient. I wore Clemente's number when I played VFW baseball as a teenager. I was still a student at Pitt in the Fall of 1971 when the Pirates won the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles on October 17th in Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and I was part of a huge celebration that filled the streets of Pittsburgh. Clemente was voted Most Valuable Player for that World Series. Unfortunately, I could not afford to attend any of those series games. This book reveals many details about Clemente's personal life as well as providing much detailed information about his eighteen seasons in the major league. Each season is covered including details about significant individual games. I particularly enjoyed the coverage of information about Clemente's relationships with other Pirate players, with Bob Prince (the voice of the Pirates), and with the sports press, who often misinterpreted his pride in himself, his race and his country. Also, it was great to read the detailed coverage of every game of the 1960 and 1971 World Series when the Pirates prevailed to become World Champions. Of course the tragic end of Clemente's life on December 31, 1972 due to the unethical and careless business practices of the air freight company and the failure of FAA safety policies and procedures brought back sad memories of Momen. However he died a hero's death in an attempt to help the people of Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake.
June 15, 2022
When I was growing up watching baseball on television I always loved watching Roberto Clemente. He had a cannon arm that could throw from right field to the catcher nonstop. I looked forward to reading this book by David Maraniss on him. I always knew Clemente died tragically in a plane crash, but I never knew the specific circumstances surrounding the crash. Maraniss gives us the story of Roberto Clemente the Major League Baseball star. His clutch hitting, magnificent throwing arm, his hustle running bases made him one of baseball's greatest. Clemente had many achievements as a baseball player but Maraniss rewards the reader with humanitarian side of Clemente who died serving others. A well researched biography and a book for everyone who wants to know the whole story of this man.
May 31, 2018
It's a joy to pick up a baseball book at the start of the new season. Last year I adopted the Pittsburgh Pirates as my favorite team and I decided to learn more about their history. After browsing a few titles I landed on this biography of Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh's most legendary player, and was off to the ballpark.
I realized quickly that I didn't know much about Clemente, other than that he was a magnificent hitter, a strong-armed right fielder and that he died in a plane crash (sorry for the spoiler, but if you do not already know that about Roberto, there is a LOT for you to learn). Maraniss' work does a wonderful job of filling the wide swaths of life surrounding these moments with the depth of Clemente's personality.
The subtitle of the book, The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, I find to be a perfect one-line summation of Clemente's personality and the myth his early death left behind. We are taken back to the baseball circuits of Puerto Rico in the 1950's, when the sport captivated the island nation and a young Clemente began to make a name for himself by utilizing the canon affixed to his right shoulder. The story of his discovery is paralleled against the history of his Puerto Rican forbears in the big leagues. It's a much more tantalizing story that I anticipated.
Once Clemente makes it to the US and the minor leagues, he is chaffed (to employ subtlety) by the harsh Jim Crow laws he encounters around the country, especially in the Pirates' spring training location in Florida. He comes from an island where race and skin color doesn't matter; instead people bond together with a strong love of Puerto Rico. Finally breaking through to the Majors, Clemente begins to show off his skills, but feels he is under-appreciated, possibly because of this nationality and skin color. This chip will be on his shoulder for almost his entire career, and will be the force driving his closer and closer to excellence. This force is his Passion.
His accomplishments eventually become nothing short of remarkable on the field, but Clemente is set apart from other stars by his humanity off of it. He makes friends with fans, even inviting some to dinners and his home in Puerto Rico. He sometimes gets frustrated with sports writers and lashes out, only to accept his overreactions in time and apologize. He develops a consuming desire to build a "sports city" back home on the island to give poor children a chance to play sports and learn to succeed and develop self-worth. This humanity is his Grace.
Clemente is by no means without his warts, and Maraniss is careful to portray this; he could be very moody, depressed over real or perceived slights and he could hold a grudge. This is an important layer to include in all biographical works where it is the case, to help contain the work as a study of a life and not let it burst into hagiography. I think this also helps us accept the famous person as a human being. Here the author does a good job.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable read about one of the game's legendary players, and how a life and a story can become myth. (Pro tip: a tragic early death helps.) And it is a wonderful glance into a bygone (for better or worse) era of baseball and the history of the sport in the Caribbean. I definitely suggest it to all Pirates fans and baseball fans in general.
I realized quickly that I didn't know much about Clemente, other than that he was a magnificent hitter, a strong-armed right fielder and that he died in a plane crash (sorry for the spoiler, but if you do not already know that about Roberto, there is a LOT for you to learn). Maraniss' work does a wonderful job of filling the wide swaths of life surrounding these moments with the depth of Clemente's personality.
The subtitle of the book, The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, I find to be a perfect one-line summation of Clemente's personality and the myth his early death left behind. We are taken back to the baseball circuits of Puerto Rico in the 1950's, when the sport captivated the island nation and a young Clemente began to make a name for himself by utilizing the canon affixed to his right shoulder. The story of his discovery is paralleled against the history of his Puerto Rican forbears in the big leagues. It's a much more tantalizing story that I anticipated.
Once Clemente makes it to the US and the minor leagues, he is chaffed (to employ subtlety) by the harsh Jim Crow laws he encounters around the country, especially in the Pirates' spring training location in Florida. He comes from an island where race and skin color doesn't matter; instead people bond together with a strong love of Puerto Rico. Finally breaking through to the Majors, Clemente begins to show off his skills, but feels he is under-appreciated, possibly because of this nationality and skin color. This chip will be on his shoulder for almost his entire career, and will be the force driving his closer and closer to excellence. This force is his Passion.
His accomplishments eventually become nothing short of remarkable on the field, but Clemente is set apart from other stars by his humanity off of it. He makes friends with fans, even inviting some to dinners and his home in Puerto Rico. He sometimes gets frustrated with sports writers and lashes out, only to accept his overreactions in time and apologize. He develops a consuming desire to build a "sports city" back home on the island to give poor children a chance to play sports and learn to succeed and develop self-worth. This humanity is his Grace.
Clemente is by no means without his warts, and Maraniss is careful to portray this; he could be very moody, depressed over real or perceived slights and he could hold a grudge. This is an important layer to include in all biographical works where it is the case, to help contain the work as a study of a life and not let it burst into hagiography. I think this also helps us accept the famous person as a human being. Here the author does a good job.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable read about one of the game's legendary players, and how a life and a story can become myth. (Pro tip: a tragic early death helps.) And it is a wonderful glance into a bygone (for better or worse) era of baseball and the history of the sport in the Caribbean. I definitely suggest it to all Pirates fans and baseball fans in general.
November 16, 2010
There were parts of this book that didn't interest me and I found myself easily laying it down and reading something else. It took me over 2 weeks to finish because until the last third I didn't have that urge to know what happened next. I found the baseball part a little boring and enjoyed the personal stuff. Those who know me will be shocked to know I found anything about baseball boring. Perhaps it was because he played for the Pirates which is one of my least favorite team or perhaps it was because so much of the baseball took place in the Winter league in Puerto Rica. Whatever! I think Clemente can easily be called a hero but the title suggests that he is the 'last hero' which I disagree with. There are many sports figures out there that are doing so much good for their communities.
August 28, 2020
David Maraniss wrote a well written, concise, and straight forward account of Latin America's first super star baseball player Roberto Clemente. Frankly, I knew quite a bit about Clement because that was part of the golden era of baseball, a time that I grew my sprouts. What I liked most was the honesty of the portrayal. Clearly Clement was not without personality flaws. He was, as Maranis concedes, moody, menacingly aloof at times in his younger professional days,a hypochondriac, obsessively concerned with how he was perceived and portrayed by the press, and quick to anger(Just ask the 19 year old fan who lost three teeth from an unprovoked fist by Clemente. Yet Maranis puts Clemente's life in perspective so the reader understands why this complicated man was still idolized, not only by Puerto Ricans, but by teammates and fans alike. Clemente was prideful but not just for his own ego, but for his countrymen. He wanted respect from the press and for his people. He objected to the unfairness of the press for not bestowing upon him(and therefore his people) the recognition that they gave to American players. Whether it was not getting the MVP award in 1960 or asking to be traded in 1965 for being criticized for not playing while hurt, Clemente made it his obsession to prevail. And prevail he did. We see the man maturing especially after his 1966 MVP award and his greatest satisfaction of becoming the MVP in the dramatic 1971 World Series. During those years he took great satisfaction in expanding his family, the most important ingredient in his life, to ordinary fans who as the years unfolded, became a part of his larger family. His life was only meaningful on earth if he could give to others and tragically his life was abruptly shattered because of his courageous and unselfish commitment to the people of Nicaragua after the earthquake of 1972. The last chapters were eerily fascinating as Maranis takes us through the perfect storm that allowed for an incompetent pilot, an unsafe plane, and an obsessive Clemente to travel on New Year's Eve rather than be with his expansive family that led to his demise. The premonition of death by Clemente before the trip and even of his wife was chilling. It's a very interesting and honest appraisal of a great ball player and a man who overcame his flaws to become a great man.
July 8, 2023
You can look up the impressive stats about Roberto Clemente but David Maraniss does a fine job getting at a truer picture of the actual man separating the saint who died young from the reality. Living in Puerto Rico I saw evidence of his legend which is obviously much more alive than in the US in same way MLK is--things named after him. But the reverence is real and well-earned as this outstanding biography makes clear. I also really enjoyed learning about Puerto Rican baseball and the early players such as Hiram Bithorn (first Puerto Rican MLB player for whom the stadium in San Juan is named) and the others who preceded Roberto into MLB.
Clemente played during the time of my own height of baseball fandom and I am sure I saw him dozens of times on TV and certainly a few times at Shea Stadium. I remember my Mom dropping me off alone at Shea for a doubleheader for Mets v. Pirates, probably 1970 or 1971 which still astounds me, as I would have been 15 or just 16. Clemente was the enemy of course but his greatness was there for all to see. Anyway I loved this book and all the references to the National League and players of that era. I had no real idea at age that things were changing so fast in baseball with the influx of Latino players especially and more so in the NL. Clemente was at the leading edge of that wave and was a proud and outspoken leader of the Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans changing the game. His untimely death at 38 in on New Year's Eve 1972 carrying relief supplies for earthquake victims in Managua enshrined him forever as a martyr. The story of how that went down (bad pun) was really sad and pitiful. That DC-7 had zero business ever taking off much less overloaded with supplies. I never realized the plane crashed right off Luis Muñoz Marin airport in Carolina (where I worked for the NWS in 2004-05) and crowds lined the beaches of Piñones almost expecting him to walk out of the water. I went to that beach many times but I had always assumed Clemente's plane crashed near Nicaragua not right off San Juan. His body was never found, but his spirit lives on en La Isla del Encanto! Anyway, 4.5 stars.
Clemente played during the time of my own height of baseball fandom and I am sure I saw him dozens of times on TV and certainly a few times at Shea Stadium. I remember my Mom dropping me off alone at Shea for a doubleheader for Mets v. Pirates, probably 1970 or 1971 which still astounds me, as I would have been 15 or just 16. Clemente was the enemy of course but his greatness was there for all to see. Anyway I loved this book and all the references to the National League and players of that era. I had no real idea at age that things were changing so fast in baseball with the influx of Latino players especially and more so in the NL. Clemente was at the leading edge of that wave and was a proud and outspoken leader of the Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans changing the game. His untimely death at 38 in on New Year's Eve 1972 carrying relief supplies for earthquake victims in Managua enshrined him forever as a martyr. The story of how that went down (bad pun) was really sad and pitiful. That DC-7 had zero business ever taking off much less overloaded with supplies. I never realized the plane crashed right off Luis Muñoz Marin airport in Carolina (where I worked for the NWS in 2004-05) and crowds lined the beaches of Piñones almost expecting him to walk out of the water. I went to that beach many times but I had always assumed Clemente's plane crashed near Nicaragua not right off San Juan. His body was never found, but his spirit lives on en La Isla del Encanto! Anyway, 4.5 stars.
July 23, 2009
Roberto Clemente played professional baseball as well or better than many of his contemporaries who are today considered to be legends of the game. Many of those other legends were better known by the public at- large back then, partly because Clemente played for an underachieving team from the other, blue collar, Pennsylvania city with a pro ball club. For this reason, he never enjoyed the personal stardom or higher pay players were making in other markets. Nevertheless, as David Maraniss writes, Roberto Clemente played baseball with a skill and a passion that few other players can match.
You must understand something of the obsession with baseball that existed in Puerto Rico in order to understand Clemente. Moraniss describes Roberto's upbringing in Carolina P.R., the youngest of seven children. Players for P.R.'s Professional Baseball League were his heroes, especially those who also played for the major leagues in the States. Clemente transitioned from P.R.'s amateur league to the Santuce Crabbers of the P.R. Professional Baseball League while a teenager. He came stateside with the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system and was drafted from there to the Pirates during November 1954. He continued to play for the Crabbers Winter League while with the Pirates.
Clemente was not an instant star, although his talents were obvious from the beginning, including his powerful, accurate arm that he used to nail base runners as a right fielder. Going with a major league club was a source of great pride for someone from the baseball crazy Caribbean. He was not the first Latino player in MLB, but became the first Latino star. None of this came easy. He suffered through his entire career from back pains caused by a car accident while he was younger. He also had to endure the racial attitudes of the time, not only as a Latin player but as a black Latin player. When, for instance, his team played Spring practice in Florida each year, the rules of the segregated South required him to bunk in an ethnic part of town rather than being allowed to stay with the rest of his team in their hotel.
Roberto was brought to the Pirates by Branch Rickey, who had forced the integration of MLB several years earlier when he had signed Jackie Robinson. Still, by the mid-fifties, some teams had not caught up with the times, including the team from the iron city. A team photo from that time shows Clemente and perhaps one other black player sitting among a sea of white faces.
Clemente's personal sense of pride caused him to avoid the locker-room hijinks of his fellow players. This, plus the unfair rap of being a hypochondriac, due to his constant application of home remedies to his back problem and other ailments, and his lack of English fluency, gave him a reputation for being aloof. Most of this criticism was fostered by sports writers more than his fellow Pirates, although it would take time until a newer generation of younger players joined the team and respected him for his influence as role model and mentor. The stupid standards of sports writing drove Clemente to distraction at times. A vicious cycle developed in which Clemente constantly complained about the inaccurate coverage his playing received in the media, with sports reporters retaliating by labeling him "Bobby Clemente" and condescendingly reporting his quotes literally in his pronunciation, such as "Bobby Clelmente says 'I heet ball good.'"
Many honors came to Roberto during his major league career, from 1955 to 1972. He was National League MVP in 1966. He had twelve Gold Gloves and led the National League in batting average four seasons. He was in 12 All-Star games.
Maraniss' description of the 1960 World Series (the first of two in which Clemente played) was especially enjoyable reading. I can still remember seeing it as a teenager, back in the days when all World Series games were played in the daytime. Fans would hurry home from work or school to watch on their B-W TV's what remained of each game which, if I can remember, started at 2:00 or 3:00 PM EST. This series, which should have been a 4-game blowout, became one of the classics of all time. The always-struggling Pirates won the NL Pennant, and their reward was to face the New York Yankees, who won their 10th Pennant in 12 years. The goliath Yankees, with Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard to name a few, were poised to overpower the Pirates in all departments. Strangely, they did just that but they couldn't put the Pirates away; during the seven games that the series lasted, they out-batted, out-hit and out-scored the Pirates by a wide margin. The trouble for the Yankees was that a lot of this hitting occurred during the two complete shutouts they won; the Pirates were able to eke out narrow wins to answer these two losses, and force the championship into a seventh game. Finally, at the end of the 9th inning in a tied game at Forbes Field, Bill Mazeroski hit a home run out of the park in one of the most memorable moments in Pittsburgh sports history, winning the series for the Pirates.
Clemente hit safely in all seven games of that series, and also in the 1971 World Series against the Orioles, which Pittsburgh also won in seven games. Clemente became the first Lartino to win MVP in a World Series, in 1971. By that time, the Pirate team photo showed a diversity similar to the ethnic mix currently in MLB. He was always extremely popular with Pirates fans despite his problems with those who reported his playing; back home, he was accorded the respect of a national hero.
Maraniss provides a compelling account of the details surrounding Clemente's death after the 1971 MLB season ended. He had managed Puerto Rico's team in the amateur world champoinship baseball series in Nicaragua. Shortly after, an earthquake hit the country, causing great damage and loss of life. Clemente had always practiced philantrophy on a level with his fierce pride. He sponsored several planeloads of relief supplies to Nicaragua, but these and the supplies sent by other relief organizations were diverted by the corrupt Samoza regime from the victims. Clemente chartered a plane in which he would personally travel so that some supplies would be delivered to those in need. Thanks to Maraniss's investigative efforts, he was able to unearth and make public federal court records which had been hidden from the public since 1972.
Clemente, a devoted family man, left his home on New Years Eve 1972, in order to accompany his plane to Managua. Maraniss found records that showed that the 4-engined DC-7 which he chartered had been damaged recently and was basically unsafe; the pilot should have not have been allowed to fly the plane; and the plane was grossly overloaded prior to take-off. The result was that an engine caught fire immediately after the plane left the runway from Isla Verde P.R. The pilot tried to circle back to the airport while over water, but the plane crashed into the sea, killing Clemente and the crew. Despite the best efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, no evidence of Roberto was found in the wreckage and debris that were eventually recovered.
Maraniss makes the point that Clemente's playing record, including his three thousand hits and Gold Gloves would have ensured his entry into Cooperstown. The sports writers who voted on Baseball Hall of Fame inductions began an effort to induct Roberto without waiting for the normal five-year post-career period of inactivity and, eleven weeks after the process for this honor began, Roberto was voted overwhelmingly into Cooperstown. This was only the second time in baseball history that the time waiver for this honor was bestowed, joining Lou Gehrig's enshrinement in 1939. Clemente also became the first Latin American player to join this baseball elite.
Maraniss acknowledges that the mythic aspects of baseball are commonly associated with past moments of sports glory and viewing enjoyment, but he makes the point that the mythic status of Clemente goes the other way, to the future. He was a model of what people can become, a symbol of action and passion, a breaker of racial and language barriers and the greatest example of the early Latino players in a game now dominated by Spanish-speaking athletes.
You must understand something of the obsession with baseball that existed in Puerto Rico in order to understand Clemente. Moraniss describes Roberto's upbringing in Carolina P.R., the youngest of seven children. Players for P.R.'s Professional Baseball League were his heroes, especially those who also played for the major leagues in the States. Clemente transitioned from P.R.'s amateur league to the Santuce Crabbers of the P.R. Professional Baseball League while a teenager. He came stateside with the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system and was drafted from there to the Pirates during November 1954. He continued to play for the Crabbers Winter League while with the Pirates.
Clemente was not an instant star, although his talents were obvious from the beginning, including his powerful, accurate arm that he used to nail base runners as a right fielder. Going with a major league club was a source of great pride for someone from the baseball crazy Caribbean. He was not the first Latino player in MLB, but became the first Latino star. None of this came easy. He suffered through his entire career from back pains caused by a car accident while he was younger. He also had to endure the racial attitudes of the time, not only as a Latin player but as a black Latin player. When, for instance, his team played Spring practice in Florida each year, the rules of the segregated South required him to bunk in an ethnic part of town rather than being allowed to stay with the rest of his team in their hotel.
Roberto was brought to the Pirates by Branch Rickey, who had forced the integration of MLB several years earlier when he had signed Jackie Robinson. Still, by the mid-fifties, some teams had not caught up with the times, including the team from the iron city. A team photo from that time shows Clemente and perhaps one other black player sitting among a sea of white faces.
Clemente's personal sense of pride caused him to avoid the locker-room hijinks of his fellow players. This, plus the unfair rap of being a hypochondriac, due to his constant application of home remedies to his back problem and other ailments, and his lack of English fluency, gave him a reputation for being aloof. Most of this criticism was fostered by sports writers more than his fellow Pirates, although it would take time until a newer generation of younger players joined the team and respected him for his influence as role model and mentor. The stupid standards of sports writing drove Clemente to distraction at times. A vicious cycle developed in which Clemente constantly complained about the inaccurate coverage his playing received in the media, with sports reporters retaliating by labeling him "Bobby Clemente" and condescendingly reporting his quotes literally in his pronunciation, such as "Bobby Clelmente says 'I heet ball good.'"
Many honors came to Roberto during his major league career, from 1955 to 1972. He was National League MVP in 1966. He had twelve Gold Gloves and led the National League in batting average four seasons. He was in 12 All-Star games.
Maraniss' description of the 1960 World Series (the first of two in which Clemente played) was especially enjoyable reading. I can still remember seeing it as a teenager, back in the days when all World Series games were played in the daytime. Fans would hurry home from work or school to watch on their B-W TV's what remained of each game which, if I can remember, started at 2:00 or 3:00 PM EST. This series, which should have been a 4-game blowout, became one of the classics of all time. The always-struggling Pirates won the NL Pennant, and their reward was to face the New York Yankees, who won their 10th Pennant in 12 years. The goliath Yankees, with Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard to name a few, were poised to overpower the Pirates in all departments. Strangely, they did just that but they couldn't put the Pirates away; during the seven games that the series lasted, they out-batted, out-hit and out-scored the Pirates by a wide margin. The trouble for the Yankees was that a lot of this hitting occurred during the two complete shutouts they won; the Pirates were able to eke out narrow wins to answer these two losses, and force the championship into a seventh game. Finally, at the end of the 9th inning in a tied game at Forbes Field, Bill Mazeroski hit a home run out of the park in one of the most memorable moments in Pittsburgh sports history, winning the series for the Pirates.
Clemente hit safely in all seven games of that series, and also in the 1971 World Series against the Orioles, which Pittsburgh also won in seven games. Clemente became the first Lartino to win MVP in a World Series, in 1971. By that time, the Pirate team photo showed a diversity similar to the ethnic mix currently in MLB. He was always extremely popular with Pirates fans despite his problems with those who reported his playing; back home, he was accorded the respect of a national hero.
Maraniss provides a compelling account of the details surrounding Clemente's death after the 1971 MLB season ended. He had managed Puerto Rico's team in the amateur world champoinship baseball series in Nicaragua. Shortly after, an earthquake hit the country, causing great damage and loss of life. Clemente had always practiced philantrophy on a level with his fierce pride. He sponsored several planeloads of relief supplies to Nicaragua, but these and the supplies sent by other relief organizations were diverted by the corrupt Samoza regime from the victims. Clemente chartered a plane in which he would personally travel so that some supplies would be delivered to those in need. Thanks to Maraniss's investigative efforts, he was able to unearth and make public federal court records which had been hidden from the public since 1972.
Clemente, a devoted family man, left his home on New Years Eve 1972, in order to accompany his plane to Managua. Maraniss found records that showed that the 4-engined DC-7 which he chartered had been damaged recently and was basically unsafe; the pilot should have not have been allowed to fly the plane; and the plane was grossly overloaded prior to take-off. The result was that an engine caught fire immediately after the plane left the runway from Isla Verde P.R. The pilot tried to circle back to the airport while over water, but the plane crashed into the sea, killing Clemente and the crew. Despite the best efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, no evidence of Roberto was found in the wreckage and debris that were eventually recovered.
Maraniss makes the point that Clemente's playing record, including his three thousand hits and Gold Gloves would have ensured his entry into Cooperstown. The sports writers who voted on Baseball Hall of Fame inductions began an effort to induct Roberto without waiting for the normal five-year post-career period of inactivity and, eleven weeks after the process for this honor began, Roberto was voted overwhelmingly into Cooperstown. This was only the second time in baseball history that the time waiver for this honor was bestowed, joining Lou Gehrig's enshrinement in 1939. Clemente also became the first Latin American player to join this baseball elite.
Maraniss acknowledges that the mythic aspects of baseball are commonly associated with past moments of sports glory and viewing enjoyment, but he makes the point that the mythic status of Clemente goes the other way, to the future. He was a model of what people can become, a symbol of action and passion, a breaker of racial and language barriers and the greatest example of the early Latino players in a game now dominated by Spanish-speaking athletes.
September 26, 2022
Roberto Clemente was a legendary baseball player, yes, but he was also a devoted humanitarian, a trailblazer for Latin American players in the majors, and a profoundly decent human being who didn't have to die in the way that he did (aboard an overloaded plane heading to Nicaragua to provide supplies to residents devastated by an earthquake there in the closing days of 1972). In this book, David Maraniss does a beautiful job of making Clemente's life a compelling story not just of sports glory, but of kindness, passion, and compassion off the field as well.
"Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero" is a look at the man who played eighteen years, almost all of them with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and who achieved so much far from the proverbial media capitals of Los Angeles and New York (where he no doubt would've been a superstar twice over, but maybe not as important as he was to Pittsburgh and to Puerto Rico, his home). Clemente had talent, but he was hidden from scouts during his brief minor-league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and eventually he was picked up by the Pirates and placed in the major leagues. He struggled with being a Black man in America, as well as a Spanish-speaker in a country primarily of English speakers, including most of his teammates. Clemente learned to adapt to his surroundings, but he never lost his love of where he came from, and he served as a mentor to other Latin American players who came up into the system.
His courtship of his wife, Vera, is rendered very sweetly, as are the interactions he had with ordinary fans (save the poor guy who ended up on the wrong end of a Clemente right hook when Roberto thought he was being hassled). In the aftermath of his tragic death, Clemente was memorialized and mythologized as almost a saint or Christ-like figure, but the real man was full of contradictions and an easy temper, though these aren't really demerits. Public figures, after all, are real people, who just happen to live in a brighter spotlight than most of us. And Roberto Clemente was much more than a great baseball player (though, of course, he was that).
Much like a previous Maraniss biography that I've read ("When Pride Still Mattered," about Vince Lombardi), this book peels away the myth of who the public figure was to show the real man behind the legend, and how much more compelling it is for that. By virtue of his tragic death, Roberto Clemente came to stand for more than just playing baseball. And in this book, David Maraniss reminds us that it was Clemente's passion to do for others that is his real legacy.
"Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero" is a look at the man who played eighteen years, almost all of them with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and who achieved so much far from the proverbial media capitals of Los Angeles and New York (where he no doubt would've been a superstar twice over, but maybe not as important as he was to Pittsburgh and to Puerto Rico, his home). Clemente had talent, but he was hidden from scouts during his brief minor-league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and eventually he was picked up by the Pirates and placed in the major leagues. He struggled with being a Black man in America, as well as a Spanish-speaker in a country primarily of English speakers, including most of his teammates. Clemente learned to adapt to his surroundings, but he never lost his love of where he came from, and he served as a mentor to other Latin American players who came up into the system.
His courtship of his wife, Vera, is rendered very sweetly, as are the interactions he had with ordinary fans (save the poor guy who ended up on the wrong end of a Clemente right hook when Roberto thought he was being hassled). In the aftermath of his tragic death, Clemente was memorialized and mythologized as almost a saint or Christ-like figure, but the real man was full of contradictions and an easy temper, though these aren't really demerits. Public figures, after all, are real people, who just happen to live in a brighter spotlight than most of us. And Roberto Clemente was much more than a great baseball player (though, of course, he was that).
Much like a previous Maraniss biography that I've read ("When Pride Still Mattered," about Vince Lombardi), this book peels away the myth of who the public figure was to show the real man behind the legend, and how much more compelling it is for that. By virtue of his tragic death, Roberto Clemente came to stand for more than just playing baseball. And in this book, David Maraniss reminds us that it was Clemente's passion to do for others that is his real legacy.
April 13, 2021
I excitedly bought this book when it was published in 2006, and never got around to reading it until now, but better late than never. Clemente was a hero in many ways: on New Year's Eve 1972, three months after getting his 3000th MLB hit, he was personally delivering aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims to ensure it wouldn't be hoarded by a military dictator when he died in a tragic plane crash.
The book paints Clemente as a figure flawed in the most understandable ways: he was often a jerk to reporters, but the papers also quoted his second-language English in exaggerated phonetics ("So I say, 'I 'ope that Weelhelm peetch me outside, but he peetch me inside and I hit it in right field"). He wasn't much of a leader until later in his career, but he also got grief from managers and teammates about his many back problems (he learned so much about back pain that he was going to open his own chiropractic practice when he retired). He once randomly punched a fan seeking autographs, but that seemed to be an aberration, and he struck up lifelong friendships with random people on the road. And he got 3,000 hits while battling chronic insomnia and barely sleeping at night, which is unbelievable to me.
The on-field stuff is okay but a little bit boring, and it's not very statistically literate (the 1960 MVP award is tacitly portrayed as the voters rewarding a hometown white kid instead of the foreign, Black Clemente, but advanced stats back up the vote and say Clemente didn't have a great case). Off the field, there are random deep-dives on Jim Crow spring training rules and the MLBPA union's fights at the time, but no resolution given, which felt a bit odd.
But overall this was enjoyable, and the details of the fatal flight are as engaging as they are infuriating: a sketchy plane operator, a recently banged-up plane, a last-minute agreement to fly it, a thoroughly unqualified flight crew, and an overloaded plane all may have contributed to tragedy.
The book paints Clemente as a figure flawed in the most understandable ways: he was often a jerk to reporters, but the papers also quoted his second-language English in exaggerated phonetics ("So I say, 'I 'ope that Weelhelm peetch me outside, but he peetch me inside and I hit it in right field"). He wasn't much of a leader until later in his career, but he also got grief from managers and teammates about his many back problems (he learned so much about back pain that he was going to open his own chiropractic practice when he retired). He once randomly punched a fan seeking autographs, but that seemed to be an aberration, and he struck up lifelong friendships with random people on the road. And he got 3,000 hits while battling chronic insomnia and barely sleeping at night, which is unbelievable to me.
The on-field stuff is okay but a little bit boring, and it's not very statistically literate (the 1960 MVP award is tacitly portrayed as the voters rewarding a hometown white kid instead of the foreign, Black Clemente, but advanced stats back up the vote and say Clemente didn't have a great case). Off the field, there are random deep-dives on Jim Crow spring training rules and the MLBPA union's fights at the time, but no resolution given, which felt a bit odd.
But overall this was enjoyable, and the details of the fatal flight are as engaging as they are infuriating: a sketchy plane operator, a recently banged-up plane, a last-minute agreement to fly it, a thoroughly unqualified flight crew, and an overloaded plane all may have contributed to tragedy.
November 18, 2018
It’s one of those books you know is going to have a horribly depressing ending but you read it anyway because you want to understand the man and what happened. Remarkable that Roberto Clemente lived barely 38 years and still made such an impact on his sport and on his society. Maraniss does a fine job humanizing someone whose image is that of a saintly freak athlete. The book is both well-researched and well-written.
I am particularly enlightened and disturbed of the events surrounding Clemente’s fatal plane crash. How easily could it have been avoided if copilot and plane owner Arthur Rivera had prior been legitimately punished for his life of crime in aviation? And how corrupt were Somoza and his ruling army in Nicaragua by confiscating all foreign aid earthquake relief items while their people suffered and died? Even more disturbing was that he had an ally in President Richard Nixon whose only concern was helping Somoza to keep Nicaragua from going Communist. Or that billionaire Howard Hughes skipped Maniagua without offering to help, financially or otherwise.
So the book was even more depressing than anticipated! But I loved the baseball side, hearing about the 1960 and 1971 World Champ Pirates teams and all the years around it. I enjoyed getting the real story of how the Dodgers signed Clemente only to lose him after a year in the minors.
And the book really gave Clemente a personality, got into his motivation, his unbelievable kindness but also his insecurities and his often difficult personality.
A book I definitely had to read as a huge baseball fan.
I am particularly enlightened and disturbed of the events surrounding Clemente’s fatal plane crash. How easily could it have been avoided if copilot and plane owner Arthur Rivera had prior been legitimately punished for his life of crime in aviation? And how corrupt were Somoza and his ruling army in Nicaragua by confiscating all foreign aid earthquake relief items while their people suffered and died? Even more disturbing was that he had an ally in President Richard Nixon whose only concern was helping Somoza to keep Nicaragua from going Communist. Or that billionaire Howard Hughes skipped Maniagua without offering to help, financially or otherwise.
So the book was even more depressing than anticipated! But I loved the baseball side, hearing about the 1960 and 1971 World Champ Pirates teams and all the years around it. I enjoyed getting the real story of how the Dodgers signed Clemente only to lose him after a year in the minors.
And the book really gave Clemente a personality, got into his motivation, his unbelievable kindness but also his insecurities and his often difficult personality.
A book I definitely had to read as a huge baseball fan.
June 2, 2023
I don't read a lot of biographies, but I occasionally read baseball bios. I'd place this among the bios of Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Hank Aaron as among those I really enjoyed and learned a good deal. The baseball elements are OK, but Maraniss makes no attempt to contextual Clemente using some of the basic analytical statistics that were well known even in the 1990s and early 2000s when he was writing. In other words, the baseball analysis is limited to batting average, hitting streaks, and RBI, at least in terms of offense. Maraniss often writes about Clemente's powerful throwing arm and Gold Glove awards, in addition to his Silver Slugger awards, All-Star appearances, and MVP trophies (regular season and World Series). The book excels, from a bystander's point of view, of making some interesting and important points about Clemente the man, model Latin baseball player, proud Puerto Rican, and humanitarian advocate -- and man of action, as his tragic death exemplified. I read this book on returning from a road trip that took me through Pittsburgh where I went to a Pirates game at the beautiful PNC park and walked around among the statues and other baseball markers. Clemente was a living legend and I think this book gets his story right. I was a pre-teen when he died, so I only knew a very small portion of the story from memory.
May 22, 2017
Maraniss is a sensitive writer, capable of creating a nuanced portrait of an icon. The book is a slightly uneasy blend of history and journalism, and each part brought strengths and also challenges to the overall work.
He uses the Pittsburgh Courier to discuss the importance of black newspapers in covering black sports and athletes, contrasting the coverage of Clemente and other black and/or Latin players in that and other Pittsburgh papers serving the white communities; however, there are years that are barely mentioned in the book, which disrupts the narrative flow.
He includes quotes from interviews of a tremendous range of individuals, but those people are often not contextualized until after their quotes appear, so the reader can be left feeling confused, thinking, "Should I know who this person is and their significance/relevance to the story?" And the end of the book is very abrupt, not discussing what happens to his family after his passing, his ongoing baseball legacies or records, etc.
It's a solid biography, and one of a limited number of books about Clemente geared towards adult readers. But there's not as much about baseball or historic context as a typical reader would probably expect upon picking up the book.
He uses the Pittsburgh Courier to discuss the importance of black newspapers in covering black sports and athletes, contrasting the coverage of Clemente and other black and/or Latin players in that and other Pittsburgh papers serving the white communities; however, there are years that are barely mentioned in the book, which disrupts the narrative flow.
He includes quotes from interviews of a tremendous range of individuals, but those people are often not contextualized until after their quotes appear, so the reader can be left feeling confused, thinking, "Should I know who this person is and their significance/relevance to the story?" And the end of the book is very abrupt, not discussing what happens to his family after his passing, his ongoing baseball legacies or records, etc.
It's a solid biography, and one of a limited number of books about Clemente geared towards adult readers. But there's not as much about baseball or historic context as a typical reader would probably expect upon picking up the book.
June 13, 2022
When I was a kid (and teenager) and obsessed with statistics, I was enamored with three things regarding hitters (all of which were encapsulated by my favorite player, Don Mattingly):
1) High batting averages
2) Power- not just home run power, but the ability to drive the ball for doubles and triples (admittedly, Mattingly didn't hit a lot of the latter)
3) A stubborn unwillingness to strike out. I loved players who had low strike out rates.
When I would peruse Clemente's stats as a youngster, I was always turned off that he never hit 30 home runs in a season. What didn't dawn on me was how cavernous Forbes Field was, or that Clemente kind of held his power back (that, and to his 30 home runs, that's a home run every five-ish games, which is kind of remarkable). I didn't pay attention to the fact that he was a gold glover, that he won the title for average four times, or that most of his feats were done on bad teams. Yes, he had 3,000 hits, but he didn't cream the ball. Looking back on his statistics, and after reading this, the truth was revealed: Clemente was remarkable. Absolutely brilliant as a ballplayer, and I kick my former self.
He was also tragic. I knew that he died in a plane crash on a humanitarian mission. I did not know just how tragic the circumstances of that doomed flight were, and how many opportunities he had to not board that plane- but so singular was his desire to help the people of Nicaragua that no warning sign could deter him. Utterly haunting and sad.
What a loving, memorable tribute this was to a stunningly kind, driven, and compassionate icon of baseball.
1) High batting averages
2) Power- not just home run power, but the ability to drive the ball for doubles and triples (admittedly, Mattingly didn't hit a lot of the latter)
3) A stubborn unwillingness to strike out. I loved players who had low strike out rates.
When I would peruse Clemente's stats as a youngster, I was always turned off that he never hit 30 home runs in a season. What didn't dawn on me was how cavernous Forbes Field was, or that Clemente kind of held his power back (that, and to his 30 home runs, that's a home run every five-ish games, which is kind of remarkable). I didn't pay attention to the fact that he was a gold glover, that he won the title for average four times, or that most of his feats were done on bad teams. Yes, he had 3,000 hits, but he didn't cream the ball. Looking back on his statistics, and after reading this, the truth was revealed: Clemente was remarkable. Absolutely brilliant as a ballplayer, and I kick my former self.
He was also tragic. I knew that he died in a plane crash on a humanitarian mission. I did not know just how tragic the circumstances of that doomed flight were, and how many opportunities he had to not board that plane- but so singular was his desire to help the people of Nicaragua that no warning sign could deter him. Utterly haunting and sad.
What a loving, memorable tribute this was to a stunningly kind, driven, and compassionate icon of baseball.
July 30, 2019
The subject material is great. The presentation of said material, however, not so much.
This is a classic example of how one does and extensive amount of research... and then puts everything learned into the book. You’re not supposed to do that. Context is important, but the context here became tangents and diatribes on occurrences that aren’t important. If I wanted to read a book about the Pirates, I would pick up a book about the Pirates. This results in a bogged down and disjointed narrative. It was an organizational mess; some things were repeated and just not in the space it could be. There were a ton of quotes that should’ve been paraphrased. There were more pages dedicated to random Pirates players than to Clemente’s legacy.
Tl;dr: there are books that can take history and turn it into a compelling story. This ain’t it.
This is a classic example of how one does and extensive amount of research... and then puts everything learned into the book. You’re not supposed to do that. Context is important, but the context here became tangents and diatribes on occurrences that aren’t important. If I wanted to read a book about the Pirates, I would pick up a book about the Pirates. This results in a bogged down and disjointed narrative. It was an organizational mess; some things were repeated and just not in the space it could be. There were a ton of quotes that should’ve been paraphrased. There were more pages dedicated to random Pirates players than to Clemente’s legacy.
Tl;dr: there are books that can take history and turn it into a compelling story. This ain’t it.
May 29, 2022
Objectively a much better book than the 3 stars I gave it. Skimmed sections and did not finish. Closed the book during the 1971 World Series. My lack of enthusiasm for this otherwise acclaimed and heralded biography of one of the 20th century’s most transcendent sports stars by one of our best biographers speaks more about my evolving headspace, which over the course of 40 years of reading has absorbed an unhealthy number of books about baseball and sports in general, than it does about the quality of this book, which has been roundly cheered since it’s publication. Apologies to the talented David Maraniss and Roberto
Clemente, but I’ve had enough. It’s not you. It’s me.
Clemente, but I’ve had enough. It’s not you. It’s me.
April 2, 2021
An excellent history of one of baseball's greatest, who died far too young. Maraniss doesn't shy away from revealing Clemente's warts, while placing his baseball accomplishments in a historical perspective. Some of the stories he shares are just incredible -- for instance, the affect Clemente had on Don Drysdale when he came to the plate with Drysdale on the mound.
Highly recommended to anybody who wants to relive some baseball history.
Highly recommended to anybody who wants to relive some baseball history.
February 4, 2023
4 stars - This is the first in many baseball books I plan on reading this year and this book was such a great start. If you have not heard of Robert Clemente, you are missing out on one of baseball’s best individuals and the story of his tragic passing.
April 10, 2020
6 stars out of 5. Amazing story of an amazing man and baseball player. Maraniss did his homework and it shows.
July 29, 2024
RIP 🇵🇷
The ending brought me to tears, but the way the book was written was kinda mid
The ending brought me to tears, but the way the book was written was kinda mid
August 28, 2025
A legend and an excellent template for humanity. I grew up with the stories of Clemente and the great era of Pirates baseball. Maraniss crafts a personal view with careful execution to span the life, career, and his untimely passing that left his footprint on the game and the world forever.
As a complete coincidence, I started reading this on the day of Roberto Clemente's birthday.
As a complete coincidence, I started reading this on the day of Roberto Clemente's birthday.
December 2, 2021
I became a Pirates fan when I moved from Canada to Pittsburgh in 1971 as a small boy with my family. I don’t remember much of Roberto Clemente, but I remember how huge he was in the city. Willie Stargell was my favorite Pirate. Still, I remember when Clemente died on New Year’s Eve, 1972, and what a shock it was to the world, to the baseball community, and to Pittsburgh, and what a sense of loss it brought.
Maraniss writes a pretty good book about Clemente. It’s not perfect, but the highlights are well written and one learns a lot about the man. Coming from Puerto Rico up to Montreal, in the minors, around 1954 was a huge shock for him, and then when the Pirates drafted him from the minors in 1955, it continued to be a culture shock for him, not only as a Latino player, but as a black Latino player. Since Spring Training was in Florida, Clemente was exposed first hand to Jim Crowe laws and couldn’t stay with the team, eat with the team, do anything but stay in the “colored” sections of towns and play ball. He wasn’t an immediate star, but he was obviously talented. He had a rocket for an arm and played a mean right field. He could hit fairly well, and with some power. He was primed for stardom.
By the time 1960 rolled around, the Pirates had risen from mediocre to National League champs, but they had to play the dreaded Yankees (with Mantle and Maris) in the World Series. And NY bombed Pittsburgh in three games by huge margins. Nonetheless, Pittsburgh won three games too, setting up a seventh and deciding game. The game was tied going into the ninth inning. Finally, at the end of the ninth inning, Bill Mazeroski hit a home run out of the park in one of the most famous moments in Pittsburgh sports history, winning the Series for the Pirates. It was the “shot heard round the world,” and to this day, is probably the most readily remembered World Series home run. For the Series, Clemente hit safely in every game.
Now my complaint with the author comes into play. He basically skips entire seasons after that Series. The 1967 season isn’t even mentioned, and Clemente was the 1966 National League MVP. You’d think Maraniss would want to follow up on that. Also, while we learn about Clemente’s tempestuous relationship with the press, who really never truly understood him, we don’t get as much on his relationship with the team, such as his manager Danny Murtaugh. It would have been nice to read more about their interactions.
Finally, we come to another good chapter – the one on the 1971 World Series against Baltimore, a team with four 20 game winning pitchers. By this time, Clemente was the old man on the team, but he hit safely in all seven games of this Series too, and was named Series MVP as Pittsburgh won another World Series.
In all, Clemente finished his career with a .317 batting average, 3000 hits, four N.L. batting titles, 12 Gold Gloves, the 1966 National League MVP, the 1971 World Series MVP, and was the first Latino elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
At the end of 1972, there was a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua, a country where Clemente had just managed the Puerto Rican national team in a playoffs. He was determined to help the people and helped gather over $100,000 and hundreds of tons of supplies to take to Nicaragua for disaster relief. Unfortunately, he put his trust in a shady character who had a plane he contracted out. This guy had 66 FAA violations and couldn’t even fly the plane, even though he was the co-pilot. The pilot had 12 violations and was exhausted from a trip he had just taken. Additionally, the plane was in bad shape and had been wrecked just two weeks before. Finally, it was overloaded by something like 4,500 pounds. It could barely lift off the ground. Nonetheless, Clemente said goodbye to his wife and three boys, took off, and never made it, as the planed crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff, smashing everything to smithereens. His body was never found.
Roberto Clemente was the pride of the Latino world, could have ruled Puerto Rico, was much loved by kids around the world, who he related to quite well, and had millions of fans everywhere. While he didn’t always get along with the press, they decided to do something that had only been done once before – bypass the five year minimum requirement of being away from baseball for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame (the other player was Lou Gehrig), and he was elected 11 weeks after his death.
It’s a good book, even though it does leave details out. (Why did Clemente give one of his Silver Slugger awards to announcer Bob Prince?) It’s well researched and documented and it sheds light on one of the greatest athletes of our time. Clemente will never be forgotten, and I certainly recommend this book.
Maraniss writes a pretty good book about Clemente. It’s not perfect, but the highlights are well written and one learns a lot about the man. Coming from Puerto Rico up to Montreal, in the minors, around 1954 was a huge shock for him, and then when the Pirates drafted him from the minors in 1955, it continued to be a culture shock for him, not only as a Latino player, but as a black Latino player. Since Spring Training was in Florida, Clemente was exposed first hand to Jim Crowe laws and couldn’t stay with the team, eat with the team, do anything but stay in the “colored” sections of towns and play ball. He wasn’t an immediate star, but he was obviously talented. He had a rocket for an arm and played a mean right field. He could hit fairly well, and with some power. He was primed for stardom.
By the time 1960 rolled around, the Pirates had risen from mediocre to National League champs, but they had to play the dreaded Yankees (with Mantle and Maris) in the World Series. And NY bombed Pittsburgh in three games by huge margins. Nonetheless, Pittsburgh won three games too, setting up a seventh and deciding game. The game was tied going into the ninth inning. Finally, at the end of the ninth inning, Bill Mazeroski hit a home run out of the park in one of the most famous moments in Pittsburgh sports history, winning the Series for the Pirates. It was the “shot heard round the world,” and to this day, is probably the most readily remembered World Series home run. For the Series, Clemente hit safely in every game.
Now my complaint with the author comes into play. He basically skips entire seasons after that Series. The 1967 season isn’t even mentioned, and Clemente was the 1966 National League MVP. You’d think Maraniss would want to follow up on that. Also, while we learn about Clemente’s tempestuous relationship with the press, who really never truly understood him, we don’t get as much on his relationship with the team, such as his manager Danny Murtaugh. It would have been nice to read more about their interactions.
Finally, we come to another good chapter – the one on the 1971 World Series against Baltimore, a team with four 20 game winning pitchers. By this time, Clemente was the old man on the team, but he hit safely in all seven games of this Series too, and was named Series MVP as Pittsburgh won another World Series.
In all, Clemente finished his career with a .317 batting average, 3000 hits, four N.L. batting titles, 12 Gold Gloves, the 1966 National League MVP, the 1971 World Series MVP, and was the first Latino elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
At the end of 1972, there was a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua, a country where Clemente had just managed the Puerto Rican national team in a playoffs. He was determined to help the people and helped gather over $100,000 and hundreds of tons of supplies to take to Nicaragua for disaster relief. Unfortunately, he put his trust in a shady character who had a plane he contracted out. This guy had 66 FAA violations and couldn’t even fly the plane, even though he was the co-pilot. The pilot had 12 violations and was exhausted from a trip he had just taken. Additionally, the plane was in bad shape and had been wrecked just two weeks before. Finally, it was overloaded by something like 4,500 pounds. It could barely lift off the ground. Nonetheless, Clemente said goodbye to his wife and three boys, took off, and never made it, as the planed crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff, smashing everything to smithereens. His body was never found.
Roberto Clemente was the pride of the Latino world, could have ruled Puerto Rico, was much loved by kids around the world, who he related to quite well, and had millions of fans everywhere. While he didn’t always get along with the press, they decided to do something that had only been done once before – bypass the five year minimum requirement of being away from baseball for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame (the other player was Lou Gehrig), and he was elected 11 weeks after his death.
It’s a good book, even though it does leave details out. (Why did Clemente give one of his Silver Slugger awards to announcer Bob Prince?) It’s well researched and documented and it sheds light on one of the greatest athletes of our time. Clemente will never be forgotten, and I certainly recommend this book.
April 6, 2008
I try to begin each baseball season with a baseball book and this year it was an easy choice -- David Maraniss' bio of Roberto Clemente was at the top of my list. Clemente died in 1972 just as I was beginning to fall in love with baseball, so I didn't get a chance to see him play nor did I really know much about him other than the fact that he died tragically in a plane crash. This book was an eye-opener on many fronts.
To begin, there is no question Clemente was a true hero in every sense of the word, especially to the people of his native Puerto Rico. when he wasn't thinking about baseball or playing baseball, he was helping others -- not just in Puerto Rico but everywhere. His most famous quote was: "if you have a chance to help others, and don't, then you are wasting your time on this earth."
Clemente was orginally drafted by the Dodgers, but they didn't think he was ready for the majors and hid him in Montreal where they hoped nobody would notice him. But when they left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft the next year, the lowly Pirates snapped him up with the first overall pick. Over the next 18 years he led the Pirates to two world championships and knocked out 3,000 hits, won a trophy case full of gold gloves and cemented his position as one of the greatest players of all time. But none of that seems important when you reflect on what he meant to both latin players and black players that followed.
Clemente was one of the first black player on the Pirates, but he was also one of the first great latin players in the majors. As a black latin he dealt with twice as much racism in the U.S., even though he was proud to play in America and signed up to be a Marine reservist. In spring training in Florida, he had to endure Jim Crow racism and in Pittsburgh he had to overcome the largely white population. He always spoke out and became a hero to black and latin players that followed him.
Maraniss is a wonderful storyteller and he brings Clemente's life alive. It's an amazing life and a tragic life, but altogether a great life and a story worth reading whether you are a baseball fan or not.
To begin, there is no question Clemente was a true hero in every sense of the word, especially to the people of his native Puerto Rico. when he wasn't thinking about baseball or playing baseball, he was helping others -- not just in Puerto Rico but everywhere. His most famous quote was: "if you have a chance to help others, and don't, then you are wasting your time on this earth."
Clemente was orginally drafted by the Dodgers, but they didn't think he was ready for the majors and hid him in Montreal where they hoped nobody would notice him. But when they left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft the next year, the lowly Pirates snapped him up with the first overall pick. Over the next 18 years he led the Pirates to two world championships and knocked out 3,000 hits, won a trophy case full of gold gloves and cemented his position as one of the greatest players of all time. But none of that seems important when you reflect on what he meant to both latin players and black players that followed.
Clemente was one of the first black player on the Pirates, but he was also one of the first great latin players in the majors. As a black latin he dealt with twice as much racism in the U.S., even though he was proud to play in America and signed up to be a Marine reservist. In spring training in Florida, he had to endure Jim Crow racism and in Pittsburgh he had to overcome the largely white population. He always spoke out and became a hero to black and latin players that followed him.
Maraniss is a wonderful storyteller and he brings Clemente's life alive. It's an amazing life and a tragic life, but altogether a great life and a story worth reading whether you are a baseball fan or not.
May 28, 2012
This was an uneven flowing book. Maraniss skips certain time periods without any explanation. Example: the 1967 season is not even mentioned. Yet, Clemente had won the 1966 NL MVP. I would like to know why 1967 did not even get a nod from Maraniss. The time from when Clemente was a young boy up to when he went to Montreal to play minor league baseball for the Dodgers is not really discussed. What went on then?
Maraniss does not delve into Clemente's relationships with most of the people in his life. For example: Clemente's relationship with Danny Murtaugh (the Pirates manager for the majority of Clement's career) was rocky at the beginning. And then... well, Maraniss really never discusses it further. What were Clemente's feelings when Murtaugh retired in 1964, then came back in 1968? Then retired for the final time after the 1971 World Series? I think that could have been fleshed out much more than it was.
Another example: Bob Prince (the iconic and long-time announcer for the Pirates) and Clemente seemed to respect each other quite a bit, but Maraniss again does not dive into this other than to say "Prince treated him fairly." How? By his commentary during games? Clemente invited Prince to his home and gave him one of his Silver bats that he received for winning a batting title. I think that is a pretty big deal. Yet, Maraniss does not explain exactly why Clemente liked Prince so much.
The chapter on the 1960 season was riveting - I thought it was easily the best part of the book. Maraniss writes that chapter with a dramatic flare that kept me grossly intrigued throughout those pages. Yet, the chapter on the 1971 season paled in comparison.
The background of the old, over-loaded plane that contributed to Clemente's untimely death, and the perfect storm of greed and incompetence that led to him needing to get on that plane, is well-documented by Maraniss. Tragic ending to a life that, despite accomplishing so much already, seemed destined for even bigger and better things.
Maraniss does not delve into Clemente's relationships with most of the people in his life. For example: Clemente's relationship with Danny Murtaugh (the Pirates manager for the majority of Clement's career) was rocky at the beginning. And then... well, Maraniss really never discusses it further. What were Clemente's feelings when Murtaugh retired in 1964, then came back in 1968? Then retired for the final time after the 1971 World Series? I think that could have been fleshed out much more than it was.
Another example: Bob Prince (the iconic and long-time announcer for the Pirates) and Clemente seemed to respect each other quite a bit, but Maraniss again does not dive into this other than to say "Prince treated him fairly." How? By his commentary during games? Clemente invited Prince to his home and gave him one of his Silver bats that he received for winning a batting title. I think that is a pretty big deal. Yet, Maraniss does not explain exactly why Clemente liked Prince so much.
The chapter on the 1960 season was riveting - I thought it was easily the best part of the book. Maraniss writes that chapter with a dramatic flare that kept me grossly intrigued throughout those pages. Yet, the chapter on the 1971 season paled in comparison.
The background of the old, over-loaded plane that contributed to Clemente's untimely death, and the perfect storm of greed and incompetence that led to him needing to get on that plane, is well-documented by Maraniss. Tragic ending to a life that, despite accomplishing so much already, seemed destined for even bigger and better things.
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September 18, 2013I wanted to read about Roberto Clemente after he was mentioned in a Freakonomics episode about how we speak of the dead. Clemente was used an example of a man who may have been complicated in life, but became sanctified in memory because of his death in the service of humanity. Freakonomics suggested that perhaps Clemente was not really such a great baseball player, or perhaps great at times, but not putting in 100% all the time. The Clemente of Maraniss's book was a great ball player all the time. He "ran like he had been set on fire by the flames of hell." He got hits on bad pitches. Balls dropped from the air into his basket glove, and he fired them strait and true to where they needed to be. It is mentioned that he was accused of being a hypochondriac, but Maraniss explains that he suffered some severe and legitimate medical problems, including a car accident that gave him chronic back pain, and a bout with malaria that weakened him. Maraniss's Clemente is complicated in other ways, though. He smoldered with resentment at slights real and imagined. He bristled against sportswriters. He felt unappreciated. He once inexplicably slugged an autograph seeker, knocking three of his teeth loose. And yet, he was a devoted friend, and always cared about helping poor people. His death while bringing relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims is inspiring, but it is also maddening. The affair was a perfect storm of incompetence. The plane was unsafe. The crew was inexperienced. The plane was overloaded. Clemente shook hands, asked no questions, and said, "They know what they are doing." If he had hired a reputable carrier, he probably would have lived. It was very sad. His desire to help was admirable, and an example for us all, but a touch of worldly cynicism in the process would have gone a long way. But overall, Maraniss argues that Clemente deserves his reputation both as a great ball player and a great man.
February 6, 2011
This story is true to the book's subtitle "The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero." It is well researched and the portrait it paints shows he lived as a devoted family man, world class athlete and a compassionate humanitarian, but was a proud man who found it difficult to suffer criticism. Clemente was a man who maximized his potential in all of it's many facets.
He made a deep impression on his teammates. Steve Blass said, "The rest of us were just players. Clemente was a prince." (pg. 256)
As a player, he was capable of extreme feats. Roger Angell, baseball writer for the New Yorker, described Clemente's performance over the seven games of the 1971 World Series as "something close to the level of absolute perfection." (pg. 264)
Roberto expressed his philosophy of life in a speech in February 1971 when he said, "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for the people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." (pg.266) His life was an example of his philosophy, so much so that he died for it!
One final quote, "That night on which Roberto Clemente left us physically, his immortality began." (pg.339) I was impressed with Clemente before, but even more so after reading this book.
He made a deep impression on his teammates. Steve Blass said, "The rest of us were just players. Clemente was a prince." (pg. 256)
As a player, he was capable of extreme feats. Roger Angell, baseball writer for the New Yorker, described Clemente's performance over the seven games of the 1971 World Series as "something close to the level of absolute perfection." (pg. 264)
Roberto expressed his philosophy of life in a speech in February 1971 when he said, "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for the people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." (pg.266) His life was an example of his philosophy, so much so that he died for it!
One final quote, "That night on which Roberto Clemente left us physically, his immortality began." (pg.339) I was impressed with Clemente before, but even more so after reading this book.
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