1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of five 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radios How Stuff Works. M Hey, welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark. There's Charles W. Chuck Bryan over there, 4 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: and Jerry too. God I mentioned Jerry, and this is 5 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: Stuff Today. You should know. I'm surprised you picked this topic. Why. 6 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: I just I don't recognize you as a baseball guy. 7 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: Oh man. Probably the first thing I was ever truly 8 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: into was baseball cards, like getting the newest edition of 9 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: like the Beckett's Price Guide. It was like one of 10 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: my like the highlights of my month when whenever. Really yeah, 11 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: for a few years I was super into baseball cards. 12 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: It was funny. It is like I would still I'd 13 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: watch baseball here there, but it was baseball cards in 14 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: particular I really cared about. But yeah, I didn't really 15 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: watch baseball. No, not really interesting, but I really loved 16 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: baseball cards. Like. I wasn't like, oh I hate baseball, 17 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: but I love baseball cards. I wasn't like complicating complex 18 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: like that. It was just I didn't watch I liked 19 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: baseball courts cards more than I liked baseball itself. That's 20 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: all I got. You were you a Roberto Clemente fan. Well, 21 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: I mean he was. He was playing his final years 22 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: when I was being born, so I was not a fan. 23 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: But I grew up obviously a Braves fan. But the 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: in the mid nineteen seventies when I first started being 25 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: a baseball fan, the Pittsburgh Pirates uh had a couple 26 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: of really good teams, and he was, um, he was 27 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: not long gone before those years, so his aura was 28 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: still sort of ever present when I first started watching 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: baseball and the Pirates when they had those great, awful 30 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: uh stovetop flat caps. Oh I love those things. But yeah, 31 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: on their own, just as an article of fashion, their horrid, 32 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,839 Speaker 1: But they were so unique and different too, you know. Yeah, 33 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: I mean they were. They rank among the worst uniforms, 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: but you know, they're just very seventies. So yeah, they 35 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: are super seventies. I think that's why I love I 36 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: love them that at the seven. I think they were 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: a throwback to the old old days. So that was 38 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: the original person. But yeah, I don't think they like 39 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: invented those caps. I think like some of the early 40 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: baseball caps might have been flat like that. I might 41 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: be wrong. I did not know that. Um. I think 42 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: the Astros had the best seventies uniform of all, though 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: they rank as one of the worst two. Oh, you're crazy, 44 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: you have terrible tastes. I'm just talking about if you 45 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: look up articles like worst Baseball Uniforms, ever, those are 46 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: the ones that are listed. Okay, well, then you're not crazy. 47 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: But whoever is writing those articles is crazy. I assume 48 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: you're talking about the Orange Shooting Star. Yeah, with like 49 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: red and blue, it's very pretty Okay, Okay, So anyway, 50 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: we're not talking about fashion or uniforms or anything like that. 51 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: Although this is not at all surprising that we even 52 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: started on this. We're talking about one particular player who 53 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: wore that funny looking Pirates hat, Roberto Clemente, who was 54 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: so well, then what are we even doing that came 55 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: along after him? What's the point of even doing this episode? 56 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: Then if he never wore a hat. I'm just I'm 57 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: just trying to get keep Pittsburgh people from emailing us. 58 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: And then I appreciate that, Chuck, I appreciate it. Um. 59 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: So we're we are talking about a Pittsburgh pirate, Roberto Clemente, 60 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: and I knew like I knew of him. I was 61 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: aware of him. I knew that he's one of the 62 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: all time grades hadn't seen many plays of his, but um, 63 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: like you can't. You can't be into baseball and not 64 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: know about Roberto Clemente. But I definitely didn't know nearly 65 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: as much about him as I do now. Um, thanks 66 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: to this help from Rous, who apparently was raised to 67 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Pirates fans, so he had plenty of good things 68 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: to say about Roberto Clemente. Yeah, I think maybe we 69 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: should take off a few of these career stats just 70 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: to give you an idea of who we're talking about here. Uh, 71 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: lifetime batting average of three seventeen, which if you if 72 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: you don't know anything about baseball and you think a 73 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: success rate oft is terrible. It is in almost everything 74 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: else in life, but in baseball, that means you're a 75 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer. That's how hard it is to hit 76 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: a baseball, right, I was gonna say, it really goes 77 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: to show how difficult hitting baseball's in the major leagues are. 78 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, you hit three out of ten and 79 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: you're great. I think I've said that before on the show. 80 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: But he got twelve gold gloves in the right field, Uh, 81 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: led the league in and batting the National League. That 82 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: is four different times, two World Series Champion Chips, m 83 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: v P nine MVP of the World Series, and seventy 84 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: one where hebett at four or fourteen, which is just 85 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: crazy good. I think sixteen time All Star just really 86 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: just an amazing career um and obviously instant Hall of 87 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: Fame career. Yeah, and he was really well known for 88 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: his arm, like he would throw people out at home 89 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: from right field, from the outfield, he could throw without 90 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: a bounce, He could throw all the way in and 91 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: beat a runner to third or to home, which is 92 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: just amazing, and it was one of the things that 93 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: really got people excited about him and watching him play. 94 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: But like, if you look at just his stats, especially 95 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: taken individually, like he was a great player and one 96 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: of the all time grades, but statistically speaking, it doesn't 97 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: necessarily show up, like there's plenty of people who have 98 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: better stats. But one of the things that made Roberto 99 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: clement Is such an amazing baseball player is he was 100 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: one of the true what are called complete players or 101 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: a five to a player where he could run, he 102 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: could throw, he could bat, he could field, and like 103 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: I keep I keep forgetting what the fifth one is, 104 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: but he could he could like sell cracker Jack's in 105 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: the stand like nobody's business as well. You've got an 106 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: actual baseball guy on the other end of the call here, 107 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: you know who me? Oh, okay, well, Mr baseball guy, 108 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 1: if it's not selling cracker jacks, what's the fifth tool? 109 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: Use me at your disposal. It's a hit for power 110 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: and hit for average. So there's two hittings. That's the 111 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: Oh well, whoever knows that? Nobody knows that you can't 112 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: just use the same thing twice and call it five tools. Well, no, 113 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: you can, because a lot of players can have a 114 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: big boomstick, but they bat like two thirty. But if 115 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: you can hit for average and hit for power, that's 116 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: a big big deal. And if you can make the 117 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: most exciting playing baseball to me, which is a right 118 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: field to third base assist, then uh, I mean, there's 119 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: nothing more thrilling to me. It's really amazing to see. 120 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: For sure. It definitely more than even home plate for 121 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: some reason, probably because it's further one of the other 122 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,480 Speaker 1: things that I think people loved about Roberto Clemente, and 123 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: I think that made him such a true baseball player 124 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: In a lot of people's eyes, at least in mind. 125 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: But he was very well known for going after pitches 126 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: that other people would have taken as a ball, clear 127 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: balls well high and outside high and inside low and whatever. 128 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: And he would go after him, and he would hit 129 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,679 Speaker 1: him a lot of the time, which is one reason 130 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: why his batting average was so high, because he would 131 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: go after those pitches that other people, um would just 132 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: let go by, and then in hitting them, he would 133 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: send him into places where you wouldn't expect him. Being 134 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: a right handed bat or two hit so he could 135 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: get to base pretty pretty um frequently too. He also 136 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: was a fast runner, but he ran like he was 137 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: out of his mind completely. Yeah, it's it's pretty fun 138 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: to see him run. He would hit pitch outs, which, 139 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: if you, like I said, if you don't know baseball, 140 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: pitch out is when uh, there's somebody on first base 141 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: and the catcher signals to the picture right before they 142 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: throw that the gown first is gonna steal second, so 143 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: they throw it completely out of the strikes. The catcher 144 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: can stand up and catch it to make the throat 145 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: a second and that's called the pitch out. It's not 146 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: not even a real pitch. And he would swing and 147 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: hit pitch outs, which is that's awesome. No one does that. 148 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: It's unheard of. It's crazy. Yeah, that is crazy. So 149 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: it suffice to say that Roberto Clemente is one of 150 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: the great baseball players of all time because he had 151 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: it all. But it was also, it turns out, but 152 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: really great human being in a lot of ways too. 153 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: He was an activist for civil rights during the civil 154 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: rights era um and he was also a humanitarian as 155 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: we'll see, like he really cared about other people and 156 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: especially the plight of people who were less fortunate than 157 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: him because he came from less fortunate circumstances to begin with, 158 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: and he never forgot it. Like he was genuinely one 159 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: of those guys who never let his fame get to 160 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: his head. In the ways that he let his fame 161 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: get to his head was in say animosity towards the 162 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: sporting press or or saying like, you guys aren't giving 163 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,439 Speaker 1: me enough credit for being what a great player I am. 164 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: That was separate. That was different when it came to 165 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: people outside of baseball, just everyday people he was He 166 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: was friends with those people throughout his whole career in life. Yes, 167 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: and that is why Major League Baseball has honored him 168 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: with the Roberto Clemente Award every year, which is given 169 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: to the player that they feel best represents the humanitarian 170 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: and humanitarian and philanthropic side of the game or outside 171 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: the game rather. So quite quite an honor to have 172 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: an award named after you. So I think we should 173 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: take a break and then maybe go back to the 174 00:09:47,120 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: beginning where and when he was born? Right after this? Alrighty, So, 175 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 1: clement A was born in Puerto Rico. He's born in 176 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: a little town called Carolina or Carolina, and it was 177 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: sugarcane territory, sugarcane plantations, and his dad he was actually 178 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: born Roberto Clemente Walker. His mother's maiden name was Walker 179 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: and his father's name was clement A, so he used 180 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: both until he got into baseball. And he was born 181 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: in the middle of the Great Depression. Uh, the youngest 182 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: of seven kids. Very tough way to be born into life, 183 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: it was. But I mean, like if you're you know, 184 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: if you come from a farming family, it makes sense, 185 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: you know, oh, to have a lot of kids. Yeah, sure, 186 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: And plus you have a lot of people with as 187 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 1: you're growing up too. That is very true. So UM 188 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: he his father was actually a foreman on a sugarcane plantation. 189 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: UM and his mom was a huge influence in his life. 190 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: I get the impression slightly more of an influence than 191 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: his father was even But one of the things that 192 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: um she had hoped for her son was that he 193 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: would become uh, he would study engineering. I'm not sure why, 194 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: but she wanted him to become an engineer, and he said, yeah, 195 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: I really like playing baseball, like to the point where 196 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: he and his brothers and his friends would make baseballs 197 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: out of whatever was handy, Like they would put like 198 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: stones in a sock, they would wad up paper tape, 199 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: whatever they could get their hands on, and use whatever 200 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: they could for a bat, and they would play baseball. 201 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: And then as they got a little older and started 202 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: to start playing in school, they had actual equipment to 203 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: play with and they would just play constantly. I read 204 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: he had ten home runs once in a game that 205 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: started at eleven am and ended after six because they 206 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: just kept playing and playing and playing like that's all 207 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 1: he wanted to do was play baseball. And one of 208 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: the reasons why is because he was really really good 209 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: at it. From a very young age. Yeah, I think 210 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: the UM I have a theory about Caribbean players that 211 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: they developed so well because so many of them don't 212 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: have the right gear growing up, and especially back then, 213 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: because if you're out there with a broomstick and a 214 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: bottle cap, imagine what that does for your hand eye 215 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,599 Speaker 1: coordination to when you have like a real barrel of 216 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: a baseball bat and a baseball Like it's no wonder 217 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: that he could hit anything if you're growing up hitting 218 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: bottle caps. And this wasn't just him, so many Dominican 219 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: and Puerto Rican and Cuban um and now just all 220 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: over the place. Uh, in the Caribbean players are coming 221 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: up and they I think they make do with less 222 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: as children and that really really hones their skills in 223 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: ways that UM And you know, there's a baseball problem 224 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: in America period like that far or far fewer kids 225 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: are growing up playing baseball now and there's far fewer 226 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: American baseball players now as a result. So one of 227 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: the reason Chucky is super into baseball was because the 228 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: whole island of Puerto Rico was into baseball at the time, 229 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: like it had been exported a couple of decades before 230 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: he was born. From Cuba to Puerto Rico. And then 231 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: also by the time he was playing UM, the Puerto 232 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: Rican UM baseball leagues had really developed into something substantial 233 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: and they played their season in the winner. So if 234 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: you were an American ballplayer, UM, you could play in 235 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: your off season down in the Caribbean is specifically in 236 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico, among other places. But Puerto Rico is a 237 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: really attractive place to play because they were so into it. 238 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,559 Speaker 1: There were so many teams and so many good players 239 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: already down there. But one of the yeah, but one 240 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: of the ways that it developed was from especially necro 241 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 1: league players making their way down there in the off 242 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: season to play UM. I've leave. Roberto Clemente actually played 243 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: a season with Willie Mays himself, and Willie Mays had 244 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: just led the New York Giants to the to win 245 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: the World Series, and a couple of months later he 246 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: was down in Puerto Rico playing during the winter the 247 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: Winter leagues, because that's just what you did when you 248 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: really wanted to play baseball, you go down to the 249 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: Caribbean in the wintertime. Yeah, it's something that still happens, 250 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: and it's mainly what you see now as players younger 251 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: players play winter ball in Puerto Rico too. Uh, just 252 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: hone their skills and to get better. It's not something 253 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: you see a lot of veterans doing. Um. That's why 254 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: it's pretty remarkable and I think shows the love of 255 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: his country in the game that clement A played winter 256 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: ball like every year through his career. Yeah. One of 257 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: the reasons I saw that he did that was because 258 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: he knew that most of the people who lived in 259 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: Puerto Rico wouldn't be able to afford to go up 260 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: to the States to watch him play, and he wanted 261 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: to for them to be able to see him play, 262 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: so he played every year. Another thing, it was, like 263 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: you were saying, some of those younger players hone their 264 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: skills UM down there. He kept his skills honed by 265 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: playing winner ball like, he kept his swing loose, and 266 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: he he didn't fall out of um shape ever, because 267 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: he played baseball basically year round for eighteen twenty years. Yeah. 268 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: So by the time he hits fourteen, he's recruited to 269 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: play UM softball, which is a little weird, but it 270 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: was a competitive softball team, uh, and then eventually an 271 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: amateur baseball team and was making I think like forty 272 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: bucks a week at seventeen playing amateur baseball in Puerto Rico. 273 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: And this was, uh, you know, this was a time 274 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: where you didn't have baseball scouts combing the Caribbean for 275 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: the next new young talent. It was, it was it 276 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: was a very new idea to go to the Caribbean 277 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: defined players, and not a lot of teams. I mean, 278 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: most teams were doing it a little bit, but they 279 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: didn't have the robust scouting programs down there like they 280 00:15:55,640 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: do now. And they sent, uh the Dodgers of Brooklyn 281 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: Dodgers who very famously broke the color barrier um with 282 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: Jackie Robinson and forty seven sent a scout name Al 283 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: Kimpanis who went down to Puerto Rico saw nineteen year 284 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: old Roberto Clemente in n and said, this guy is 285 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: a five tool dynamo and we need we need to 286 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: get him up here as fast as we can. And 287 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't I mean, that was actually kind of um 288 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: insightful of him because it wasn't readily obvious, especially very 289 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: early in his career. Um when he was playing with 290 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: the UH where they called the Kendra Harris the crabbers 291 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: um that he was just gonna be one of the 292 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: all time greats because he swung at lots of pitches 293 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: that other people wouldn't have swung at. He ran like 294 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: he was crazy. Um, he was still finding his his skills. 295 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: But to be able to see how great he was 296 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: going to be UM at that young stage, I mean, 297 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: that's a that's a credit to that. What was his name, 298 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: camp Annis is um I for talent, Yeah, yeah. And 299 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 1: he went on to be a lifelong baseball executive I 300 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: think retired uh in shame for some like uh racial 301 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,120 Speaker 1: statements he made, but longtime baseball guy. But the Dodgers 302 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: got Clemente. And there was a thing there was a 303 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: rule back then from seven nineteen sixty five that they 304 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: got rid of UH in sixty five for a very 305 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,679 Speaker 1: good reason. That was a little bit weird if you're 306 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: a baseball fan today because it's so different now. But 307 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: the rule was that if you were UH player that 308 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: was signed for more than four thousand dollars as a 309 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: signing bonus, then you had to be on a major 310 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: league baseball roster for two full seasons UH and if 311 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: you weren't, then you would become part of the rookie 312 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,880 Speaker 1: draft and clement A was signed for I think ten 313 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: thousand dollars and I'm not sure why they signed him 314 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: for that much. Maybe he wouldn't have gone for less, 315 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: but it was not a great move. But because this 316 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: meant that the Dodgers had to either take him to 317 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: the major leagues for two full seasons, which was not 318 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 1: a good call because most players in baseball start out 319 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: in the minor leagues. In fact, all do. No one 320 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: makes that jump straight to the major leagues, even if 321 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: it's just like a cursory half season or so, but 322 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: that's even really rare. But they they kept him in 323 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: the minor leagues and their plan was to hide him 324 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: and literally it would he would go like two months 325 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: between starts because they didn't want they wanted to get 326 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: those two seasons out of the way because after those 327 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: two years, you could send someone to the minor leagues. 328 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 1: But it didn't work. Um people saw him play and 329 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: even though he didn't get to play much in the 330 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Pirates really homed in on him right away. So yeah, 331 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Pirates were um lead. I think their GM 332 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: was branch Rickey, who was the guy who had scouted 333 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: Jackie Robinson and got him onto the Dodgers. Now he 334 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: worked for the Pirates, so he ended up getting his 335 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: hands on Roberto clement Inte and brought him to the Pirates. 336 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: And so apparently when they found out, or when Clemente 337 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: found out that he had been drafted by the Pirates, 338 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: he was down in Puerto Rico, and he said later 339 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: on that he had he didn't really know where Pittsburgh was. 340 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: He he had been excited to play for New York 341 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: because there's a big Puerto Rican community in New York, 342 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden he sent off to Pittsburgh, 343 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: doesn't know where it is and doesn't really know anybody. 344 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: So this is kind of his his entree into UM America. 345 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: But it actually was even rougher than that, because first 346 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: he started out I guess on Pittsburgh's UM minor league 347 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: team or and that's what it was. It was in 348 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: spring training down in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, UM, and 349 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: he came face to face with the stark reality of 350 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: of basically Jim Crow South in UM the fifties. The 351 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: first thing when he got to America, and he he 352 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: was one of the reasons I said earlier he was 353 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 1: a civil rights actors because he did not take very 354 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: kindly to that and wrestled and railed against it from 355 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 1: the outset. Yeah, he didn't. He didn't have any uh, 356 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: he didn't have any frame of reference for this, Like 357 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: he came from Puerto Rico, where this wasn't a thing. 358 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: He um was of African descent, so two Americans. He 359 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: was a black man to him, he was Puerto Rican. 360 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: He was caught between two worlds and didn't understand why 361 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: he had to stay in a different hotel or eating 362 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: a different restaurant than his white UH teammates. And so 363 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: this really upset him. And what upset him even as 364 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: much was how his other black teammates on the team 365 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: understood it and just basically had to take it because 366 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: they were afraid if they caused a ruckus that they 367 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: would be sent back down to the minors. And he 368 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: was just like, you shouldn't be deferential, like what is 369 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: going on in this country? And he he would speak 370 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: to the sporting press about this stuff, and the sporting 371 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: press either would just ignores comments about that or actually, yes, 372 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: they would ignore his comments about it and they would 373 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: just talk about whatever he said about the game. But 374 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: then to kind of heap um the sense that he 375 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: was an outsider and an outsider that wasn't respected because 376 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: he was looked down upon because of his race and 377 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: his his um origin. Um. They would quote him phonetically 378 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: in the press. So when he said, you know, um, 379 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: I think he said there was a headline that famously 380 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: said like I get a hit, I feel good, but 381 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: they spelled it out like I get heat h E 382 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,479 Speaker 1: E T is how they spelled hit, I feel good. 383 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: That was a headline in the Pittsburgh newspapers after a 384 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: really big game. And he found that extremely demeaning. Uh, 385 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: and it actually really kind of framed the way that 386 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: he felt about America. Um. Yeah, it framed how he 387 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: felt about America. And don't forget like Puerto Rico was, 388 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: you know, by this time, it was an American territory 389 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: have been for quite a while, so people in Puerto 390 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: Rico had long considered themselves American. People in America didn't 391 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: consider Puerto Ricans, they considered them ethnic, and they Roberto 392 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: Clemento was treated just like any other person from Puerto Rico, 393 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,919 Speaker 1: which was not very well back then. Yeah, So his 394 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: reputation started to develop as a loner. It's a very 395 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: moody player. The Pirates were a really bad team. I 396 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: don't think we mentioned that UM at the time, just terrible, 397 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: like one of the worst teams in baseball. He didn't 398 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: catch on in his first few years there either. I 399 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: think in his first five seasons he only hit over 400 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: three hundred one time, and a lot of this was 401 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,360 Speaker 1: due to injury. He had a car accident that hurt 402 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: his back, so his back was all jacked up for 403 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: a while. UM he had other you know, injuries along 404 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: the way, and he would he wasn't shy about talking 405 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,479 Speaker 1: about it. He would complain to the manager, he complain 406 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: to the press about his injuries. And this baseball is 407 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,479 Speaker 1: still kind of this way, or most sports are actually 408 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: is you kind of don't take that stuff public. You 409 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: don't want to be seen as someone who UM either 410 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 1: fake's injury because they don't want to play, or who 411 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: just who complains about it too much. So he didn't 412 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 1: have the best reputation early on because a lot of 413 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: this stuff. Yeah, I know, he was thought to be 414 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: a complainer, a hypochondriac, moody, UM, abrasive, egotistical, and that 415 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 1: was something that like that's indisputable is the egotistical part, 416 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: because he was he knew that he was playing better 417 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: than he was getting credit for and it ticked him 418 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: off because he knew the reason he wasn't getting credit 419 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:36,360 Speaker 1: for it was because he didn't act the way that 420 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: the white sporting press expected him to act, and they 421 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: they didn't like him for it, so they didn't really 422 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: give him any any credit, and they actually withheld credit 423 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: that was definitely due him for the way he was playing. 424 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,120 Speaker 1: But like you said, I mean it took a few 425 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: years for him to start to catch on. But even 426 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: after he did, which first began in the nineteen sixty 427 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 1: World Series UM when the Pirates went from I don't 428 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: know if they went for worst to first, but it 429 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: was pretty close to something like that. Um, he was 430 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,159 Speaker 1: he was passed over as the World Series m v 431 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: P UM I think like a lefty relief pitcher got 432 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 1: more votes than he did, despite him being one of 433 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,479 Speaker 1: the clear heroes of that series. UM. And he really 434 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: was not happy about that, and it really kind of 435 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:27,119 Speaker 1: created this this lifelong animosity with the sporting press that 436 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: had already been brewing, but that one, to him showed 437 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: that they were basically working against him at that point. Yeah, 438 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 1: and I think was a pretty bittersweet ear because it 439 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 1: was his breakout ear. Uh. If this status right, Dave 440 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,439 Speaker 1: says his average never dropped below three hundred, then that 441 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: means he that means he was hitting three hundred in 442 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: Game one, which is pretty remarkable to start out that 443 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: hot and to maintain it over the course of a year. Right, 444 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: But if you've been playing winner ball in the Caribbean, 445 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: like just just a couple of weeks before of that, 446 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: it would make sense, you know. Yeah, and he uh, 447 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: you know, they won the World Series, which is a big, 448 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: big deal in Pittsburgh, but he didn't feel like he 449 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 1: was getting his due, like you said, so he didn't 450 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: go off and celebrate with his fans. Um, he kind 451 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: of went off to himself. He was happy, but it said, 452 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 1: uh the quote was unhappy but not but unconcerned with 453 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: all the fanfare, is what a reporter said. And he 454 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: just wanted to get back home to Puerto Rico so 455 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: he could use his World Series bonus money to buy 456 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: a house for his mother. And he was loved there, 457 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 1: so you know, he wanted to get back to where 458 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: he was um cherished and and he did. When he 459 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,120 Speaker 1: went back to Puerto Rico, he was a national hero 460 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: and the press like followed him everywhere he went, and 461 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: the kids loved him, and he bought a big Cadillac 462 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: and mentored all the kids. So it's not like he 463 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: went back like um like Elvis and just sort of 464 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: lived high on the hog, like he did, go back 465 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: a hero, but he really really got involved with the 466 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: community right away. Yeah, he kept playing. He would mentor 467 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,239 Speaker 1: little kids who were um learning to play sports, and 468 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: that actually became one of his dreams. Is he wanted 469 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: to um make enough money and get big enough to 470 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: build a sports complex of sports city or Sad de Portez. 471 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: Not bad um if I compare myself on the back 472 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: for that one where kids could learn to um play. 473 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: But also you know that, like you didn't have much 474 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: of a role model, is the kind of place you 475 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 1: could find a role model too, and not just play baseball, 476 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: but also play maybe basketball or whatever sports um you 477 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: wanted to play. And that I think that that was 478 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,680 Speaker 1: at the very least on his mind back then, if 479 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 1: not like one of his stated goals in his life. 480 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:48,880 Speaker 1: By the time roll around he went back home. Yeah, absolutely, Um, 481 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 1: he got married in sixty four to Vera Zabala, and Um, 482 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: she was from his hometown there in Puerto Rico. They 483 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: had three kids, and he was very insistent that all 484 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: his kids be born in Puerto Rico, which they were. 485 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: And I think one of his sons, I think Junior 486 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: even played baseball, uh and then ended up being an announcer. 487 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: I don't think. I mean obviously he was. Um, he 488 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 1: never achieved like what his father did. But it's pretty 489 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: imagine tough to grow up the child of Roberto Clemente. 490 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: It's like being Michael Jordan's son or whatever. You know. Yeah, 491 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: his his So he had Roberto Jr. There's also Louis 492 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: Roberto and Roberto Enrique. Those are his three sons names 493 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:38,120 Speaker 1: kind of like George Foreman so so um by the time. 494 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: So nineteen sixties, like you said, that was his breakout year. 495 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: He got married in nineteen sixty four. Um, and when 496 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: he was down there in Puerto Rico. One one thing 497 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: I want to say, um that I saw that a 498 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: lot of people kind of overlook is he played winner 499 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: ball almost every year. But there was one year, I 500 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: believe in nineteen fifty eight where he he didn't play 501 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: winter balling. Insteady enlisted in the U. S. Marines Reserves, 502 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: and that's how we spent the winner and he ended 503 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: up spending the next six years as a Marine reserve, 504 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: which is something that very frequently gets overlooked, especially from 505 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 1: Americans who really don't think of Puerto Rico as you know, 506 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: a territory or fifty first state. Like, he became a 507 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: US Marine while he was an up and coming baseball star, 508 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: and then even after he was a baseball star, he 509 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: remained a Marine until apparently one time, um, the I 510 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: think the nineteen sixty four World Series, um coincided with 511 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: the training exercise in the the Marines were like, you're 512 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: you're honorably discharged, go play the World Series. Yeah, but 513 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: he's in the Marine Sports Hall of Fame, which I 514 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: didn't even know was a thing. Oh no, I didn't either, 515 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: but it makes sense. I think he's the only player 516 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: in there. That's right, that's uh, surely there's but the 517 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: rock was in there. Should we take a break? Probably? 518 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:05,280 Speaker 1: All right, we'll take a break and talk a little 519 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: bit more about the game of Roberto Clemente right after this. Okay, Chuck, 520 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: so we haven't already said that. Um, he was a 521 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: five tool player, a complete player. UM, and I mean 522 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: you you, I think I have an understanding of what 523 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: made is his play so amazing? Um? So what made 524 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: his play so amazing? I'm I'm laying on my baseball resource. Well, 525 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: I mean he was he was built for the game. 526 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: He was you never lift never lifted weights in his life. 527 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: But he was sort of a perfectly chiseled specimen of 528 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: a baseball player. UM. Very very handsome, which has nothing 529 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: to do with being a good baseball player. But I 530 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: thought I thought I'd throw that in. It moves those 531 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: cracker jacks, he sure does. So. Uh. He was just 532 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: very fluid, like aside from his base running, like you 533 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, it was kind of crazy. I think one 534 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: sports reporter said it looked more like he was fleeing 535 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: than running. Um, he just you'd have to see him run. 536 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: He he he just all of his limbs were kind of 537 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,800 Speaker 1: just swinging. And it wasn't the most graceful run, which 538 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: is weird because he was a very fluid and graceful player. Um. 539 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: And those five tools, uh you know he had. He 540 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: was known most for his outfield arm and I think 541 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: he led the league in outfield assists, um five or 542 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: six years in a row, or maybe not in a row, 543 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: but five or six seasons. Uh. And he was fearless. 544 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: He would he would he was sort of like Willie 545 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: Mays and that he would go after uh these outfield 546 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: hits with reckless abandoned like just run right into the 547 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 1: wall to try and get a home run ball going over, 548 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: or like I said, throwing out those players from right 549 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: field to third base, which is just a very, very 550 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: tough thing to do. And this was like before padded walls, 551 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: or at the very least, they didn't have him in 552 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: a lot of the places he played because he would 553 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: get like stitches or you know, really mess up his 554 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 1: shoulder or something like that. And don't forget, he's also 555 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: playing through a spinal injury from that that car wreck. 556 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: And yet this guy is throwing like people out at 557 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: third base from right field, um, or running for an 558 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: infield grand slam. I mean, just doing crazy stuff despite 559 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:42,240 Speaker 1: these these chronic injuries that he's been accumulating. And I've 560 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: read somewhere that he credits his mother with his arm 561 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: he threw. He was a jack thrower. Yeah, he was 562 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 1: javelin thrower in high school and that UM really kind 563 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: of helps you develop all of the same muscles that 564 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: you need to throw something like a baseball from right 565 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: field to third base or home But he still said, yeah, 566 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: of the javelin, that that definitely surely helped. But I 567 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: got my arm from my mom. She can throw from 568 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: second base to home plate with something on it still 569 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: when it gets there. So he said he got his 570 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 1: arm from his mom, which I thought was pretty sweet. Nice. 571 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: I love it. Uh. And you know, off the field 572 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: is why he got the award named after him. He 573 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: Um would mentor uh, you know, because he was one 574 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: of the first Latin American stars. He would mentor anybody 575 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: that came through, especially through the Pirates organization, but he 576 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: would reach out to players on other teams that were 577 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: from the Caribbean to try and Um paved their way 578 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: a little more smoothly. When he would go to different cities, 579 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: he would go to visit kids in the hospital. Basically 580 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: every city they visited, UM he would mentor these players. 581 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: He would uh, this great, great story about the friendship 582 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: he developed. This is a good fine by Dave Um 583 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: about Carol Breeza Vetch or Breeza vic. I'm not sure 584 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: you pronounced it, but um. She was a Phillies fan 585 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 1: and a teenager and was hanging out after a game 586 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: looking for autographs and saw a little crowd around Clemente 587 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 1: but didn't really know who he was because he was 588 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 1: playing for the Pirates and she was taking Spanish in 589 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: high school. So after she got her signature, she kind 590 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: of let out a very shy muchas gracias, and he 591 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: just lit up and started talking to her in Spanish, 592 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: and she was she was like, oh, I don't understand, 593 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: so he switched to English and they ended up talking 594 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: and talking and talking in the parking lot such that uh. 595 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: He and his fellow teammate that were there missed the 596 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: bus back to the airport, and so her dad had 597 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: to drive them. And he was a big time Phillies fan, 598 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: and if you know anything about Phillies fans, he was 599 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: probably not happy about this, but he had to drive 600 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: to Pittsburgh Pirates uh to the airport, and he and 601 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: his daughter struck up a real genuine lifelong friendship, right 602 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: and like like like. She was a little sister figure 603 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 1: to him, so was her mom as well. He kind 604 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 1: of adopted them both as sisters because he had had 605 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: his sister. He had one sister out of his blings, 606 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: and she had died in an accident when he was young. 607 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: And so this girl just kind of struck him in 608 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: just the right way, and her mom as well, and 609 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: so he adopted basically her whole family. Um. He had 610 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: them out to uh, I think the next away game 611 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: in New York that they played, he invited the whole 612 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: family out, put him up in the Pirates hotel, took 613 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: him out to dinner afterward, and then as their friendship continued, 614 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: he and his wife had a little Carol down for 615 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 1: Christmas in Puerto Rico one one year. So, yeah, this 616 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: is like just this this random girl. He wasn't even 617 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, um, and he became basically lifelong 618 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,319 Speaker 1: friends with her and her family. Yeah, And I think 619 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: it's really speaks to the man he was because it 620 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: was a time in America where just to hear an 621 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:51,320 Speaker 1: American girl say mucus gassias. It seems very throwaway today 622 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 1: because so many people have learned Spanish and it's taught 623 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: in all the schools, But back then, it was a 624 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: big deal that this little girl said two words of 625 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: Spanish him and that was all it took. Um just 626 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: really really very pure sweet story. Yeah, and the fact 627 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 1: that he was, you know, out there signing autographs is 628 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: apparently pretty standard for him too. It was known to 629 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:14,560 Speaker 1: be like the kind of guy who he stuck around 630 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: to sign every autograph that that was asked of him, 631 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 1: of all the kids. So he was a pretty pretty 632 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: good guy. And so like that's what it makes it 633 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: kind of rewarding then that he finally started to get 634 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: the recognition that he had long sought, that he felt 635 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 1: like he definitely deserved. And one of the other things too, 636 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 1: is it's easy to point to Roberto Clementing and be like, 637 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:36,960 Speaker 1: look at how satistical the guy was. He knew he 638 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: was a great player, and he wanted to respect for it. 639 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 1: To him, he represented Puerto Rico um and the Puerto 640 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:49,240 Speaker 1: Rican people, and he wanted respect not just for himself 641 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: but for them as well. Like if he could gain respect, 642 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: other Puerto Rican people would gain respect by proxy. And 643 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: so I think that's why that was one of the 644 00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: reasons why it was so important to him, not just 645 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 1: because he wanted adulation and in respect, he wanted it 646 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 1: for all Puerto Ricans as well, and he was like 647 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: a vessel for that kind of thing. So finally when 648 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,879 Speaker 1: it when it finally came around UM in nineteen sixty six, Uh, 649 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 1: he he actually started to loosen up. He he became 650 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: known as less Moody. He bonded with his players a 651 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 1: little more because he played all eighteen seasons in the Pirates. 652 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: He was a Pirate through and through. UM. But he 653 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:28,320 Speaker 1: he became he was voted as the National League MVP 654 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty six and apparently that was a huge 655 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: turning point for him and his relationship with America and 656 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: in baseball. Yeah, it was a big deal. UM. And 657 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:41,480 Speaker 1: you know in in nineteen seventy one is when he 658 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:45,240 Speaker 1: went to a second World Series, great great World Series 659 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: the year I was born. I remember it well. He 660 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,360 Speaker 1: was they were the underdog against the Orioles, who are 661 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: a really really good team at the time, and it 662 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: went to a seventh game, just like that Yankees game did, 663 00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: and he got one. He hit an all seven games, 664 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,839 Speaker 1: hit safely and also in games, which is a really 665 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: huge accomplishment, and hit a fourth inning home run and 666 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 1: gave seven in Game seven that gave them the lead 667 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: basically to go ahead home run and they ended up 668 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 1: winning that World Series. He was named MVP, uh like 669 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: I said earlier, after batting four or fourteen in the series, 670 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: batting three forty one for the season. And this time 671 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: he was really really involved in the celebration. And uh, 672 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: like you said, since sixty six had warmed two to baseball, 673 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: to the writers a little bit more, and definitely to 674 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,399 Speaker 1: his teammates. So it was like a really great way 675 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 1: to end the career. And that wasn't the end of 676 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:38,400 Speaker 1: his career. He played another season, the nineteen seventy two season, 677 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,319 Speaker 1: UM and the Pirates got all the way to the 678 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: NL East UM Conference. I think they made it past Um. 679 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: They made it. I don't remember who they made it past, 680 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:51,240 Speaker 1: but they faced the Reds and lost to the Reds 681 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: for the NL title to move on to the World Series. 682 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,120 Speaker 1: But they got pretty far. Is pretty respectable season. UM. 683 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 1: And in that season he got his last hit. He 684 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: had three thousand hits on the notes, he was UM 685 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:08,720 Speaker 1: only the eleventh player in baseball history UM to reach 686 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:12,360 Speaker 1: that milestone. UM, and he was the first Latin American 687 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 1: player to reach that milestone, which was a huge accomplishment 688 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,760 Speaker 1: for him as well. But there's also something really great 689 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: about just such an even number three thousand hits um 690 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: and he got that three thousandth hit uh in the 691 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,840 Speaker 1: in the regular season. UM. They didn't make it to 692 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: the World Series that year, but he uh he went 693 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: back down to Puerto Rico basically immediately after the season 694 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: to go play winter ball again. That's right, uh. And 695 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:43,439 Speaker 1: he he had distinction of managing an all star team 696 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: down there in the Amateur Baseball World Series tournament which 697 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: was held in Nicaragua that year, and he really really 698 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,560 Speaker 1: fell for the people of Nicaragua, and very tragically, in 699 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:58,240 Speaker 1: December of that year, a big earthquake struck killed seven 700 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: thousand people and left about a quarter million homeless, and 701 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: he really wanted to get involved. His heart was broken. 702 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 1: He had met so many great people in Nicaragua and 703 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 1: wanted to get involved and helped them out and organized 704 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 1: personally organized organized a relief mission there um raising a 705 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:16,839 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars by going door to door 706 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,240 Speaker 1: to purchase food, twenty six tons of food and clothing 707 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: and medicine. He gets the word that their president there, 708 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 1: who was corrupt, was like so often happens in those situations, 709 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:32,200 Speaker 1: commandeering the supplies and they weren't getting to the people. 710 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 1: So he said, you know what I'm gonna do. I'm 711 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,400 Speaker 1: gonna get a plane and I'm gonna fly shipment of 712 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:40,360 Speaker 1: supplies down there myself. And so he boarded a d 713 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 1: C seven on December thirty one, New Year's Eve, nineteen 714 00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:46,279 Speaker 1: seventy two to do just that, right, Yeah, he did, 715 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 1: And it turned out, unfortunately that that highly successful campaign, 716 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,319 Speaker 1: the drive that he he spearheaded, that produced twenty six 717 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: tons of supplies, well, twenty six tons was way too 718 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,680 Speaker 1: much for the DC seven that he arted. Um, and 719 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 1: the engines were attacked from the outset. He took off 720 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,720 Speaker 1: from Puerto Rico and started flying out over the ocean, 721 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: and the engines actually blew up and um, they tried 722 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 1: to turn the plane around while it was on fire 723 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,760 Speaker 1: and fly back, and they made it i think a 724 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,160 Speaker 1: mile from the coast before the plane broke up and 725 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 1: fell into the ocean and all five people on board 726 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:26,320 Speaker 1: were killed, including Roberto Clemente, who again was overseeing personally 727 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 1: humanitarian mission in Nicaragua to help people who are victims 728 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 1: of an earthquake. And that's how he lost his life 729 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: at age thirty eight. Yeah, just brutal, brutal end to 730 00:40:36,239 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: his story. Uh, people search for his body, um, you know, 731 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,840 Speaker 1: people on the beach hell daily vigils, hoping that he 732 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 1: would somehow be found alive and rescued. But you know, 733 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 1: obviously nobody survived that crash. His body was never even recovered. 734 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: And a few months after the crash, he was inducted 735 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: into the Hall of Fame, one of only two times 736 00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: it's happened. The other was Luke Arrig where you don't 737 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 1: have to wait that mandatory five year period after the 738 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: end of your career. And in fact, I think his 739 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:08,359 Speaker 1: set the precedent now that UM, if you have been 740 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: deceased for six months, you were eligible for Hall of 741 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: Fame induction, and he was just the second one. And 742 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:18,240 Speaker 1: then they created that award in his honor, Clemente Award, 743 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: the which is for humanitarian baseball players. So that's a 744 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: huge honor in and of itself. UM. I think you 745 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,959 Speaker 1: said that he got like twelve Golden Glove or Gold 746 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,000 Speaker 1: Glove awards for fielding his last one or maybe his 747 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,360 Speaker 1: um his wife accepted on his behalf the following April 748 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:39,840 Speaker 1: after he died, and Vera Um dedicated herself to seeing 749 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:45,399 Speaker 1: through um his dreams and actually organized and got that 750 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:49,359 Speaker 1: sports city in Puerto Rico built and it's still there 751 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: today as a matter Yes, I mean she she really 752 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: continued his work and um it, you know that I 753 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 1: hate that phrase behind every great man is a great woman, 754 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: because really beside every great man is a great woman, 755 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 1: and that was definitely the case with Vera. And she 756 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:10,040 Speaker 1: was a lifetime humanitarian and philanthropist as well, which is amazing. Yea. 757 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:12,839 Speaker 1: One of the great things about Roberto Clemente is he's 758 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:14,680 Speaker 1: the kind of guy you can name a school after 759 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 1: and feel pretty good about it. And as a result, 760 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 1: there's in the round the world there's forty public schools, 761 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 1: two hospitals, and more than two hundred parks and ball 762 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,799 Speaker 1: fields named after him. And I think now there's at 763 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 1: least forty one public schools because this past September in 764 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:35,920 Speaker 1: Orange County, Florida, Stonewall Jackson Middle School was renamed Roberto 765 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: clement A Middle School. Yeah, well that's about appropriate for 766 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:43,960 Speaker 1: our times. Yeah, it's pretty great. So now there's forty 767 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 1: one schools named after Roberto Clemente. So if you have 768 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,120 Speaker 1: a school and you're like, who can we name this 769 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:52,720 Speaker 1: after you could do a lot worse than Roberto Clemente 770 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: and people still probably complained about that. Who cares? Who cares? Eventually, Chuck, 771 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:03,759 Speaker 1: you just have to say, I don't care that you're complaining, Yeah, 772 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:07,840 Speaker 1: because you're in the wrong. So, uh, you got anything 773 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 1: else about Roberto Clemente? Nothing else? I watch YouTube videos 774 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:15,600 Speaker 1: of him. It's amazing. Yeah, there's yeah, just just say 775 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:19,040 Speaker 1: just type in like Roberto Clemente throw from right fields 776 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:22,879 Speaker 1: or home run. He's had some amazing home runs. Um, yeah, 777 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 1: it's just fun to watch. Plus, you're right, he he was. 778 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: He was pretty easy on the eyes, especially as far 779 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:29,879 Speaker 1: as baseball players go. You know, a lot of them 780 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,880 Speaker 1: are horribly ugly. That's right. Blah blah boom. Since I 781 00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:36,279 Speaker 1: said that, it's time for a listener mail, don't you 782 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 1: think I think so? This is called Eddie van Halen. 783 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:45,799 Speaker 1: You know, we lost Eddie van Halen recently and it 784 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,120 Speaker 1: was very tough for me. But we got a an 785 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 1: emailer from Australia says, I jinx it. Hey guys, I'm 786 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,400 Speaker 1: writing in because I was just listening to the political 787 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 1: Polling episode and Chuck mentioned, oh he was having a 788 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,000 Speaker 1: break from internet news, and he is only looking at 789 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: something that brings me joy, like old led Zeppelin and 790 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: Van Halen YouTube videos. Cut to a couple of weeks later, 791 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 1: in the tragic news of Eddie van Halen, passing like 792 00:44:09,239 --> 00:44:11,319 Speaker 1: it's some weird twisted way of the universe, saying, oh, 793 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:14,400 Speaker 1: you found something that brings you joy. I'll fix that. 794 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:18,560 Speaker 1: I don't believe in that stuff, but it was fairly ironic. 795 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:21,719 Speaker 1: But truth be told, I can usually be found watching 796 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: old van Halen videos, so I know I'm making light 797 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 1: of the death of someone. Oh I don't think you 798 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,840 Speaker 1: really are, Matt Um. That would have been a massive 799 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:31,960 Speaker 1: influences in a lot of lives. But in these times 800 00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: we need to find a laugh wherever we can. Anyway, 801 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 1: I love the podcast. Can't wait for you to touch 802 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: on some Australian topics. Hint, hint, all the best and 803 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: that is Matt from Melbourne. Oh and you even said 804 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:48,000 Speaker 1: it right, Chuck, Thank god that Matt. Yeah, I'm sure 805 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: Jimmy Page is like Chuck, stop watching videos of me. Okay, well, 806 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 1: if you want to be like Matt from Melbourne, who 807 00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 1: is awesome just for being from Melbourne, because we've been 808 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,560 Speaker 1: into Melbourne and Melbourne is a pretty great place. Um wonderful. 809 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: You can send us an email send it off to 810 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcasts at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you Should 811 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 1: Know is a production of i Heeart Radio's How Stuff Works. 812 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my heart Radio because at the 813 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 814 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: your favorite shows. H