The Second Answer: Corruption in Somoza’s Nicaragua six days after the earthquake had forced Clemente to get on the plane himself. Stories had begun to circulate that the aid Clemente was helping to send to Nicaragua was being taken by unscrupulous persons and sold to the earthquake victims on the ground in Managua—even though most people in parts of Managua had lost everything. Clemente promised himself and his donors that he would see that the next shipment on December 31 was gotten to the right people. That is why he committed himself to leave his family and escort the goods to Nicaragua that fateful night
The Third Answer: Clemente, the humanitarian—the teacher, the athlete, and the philanthropist—always lived his life as though he was going to die, i.e. he was always prepared to die in the cause of helping others.
In the ESPN broadcast on THE ENDOURING LEGACY OF ROBERTO CLEMENTE, Clemente is quoted as stating, “If you don’t do something to make the world a better place for those who come after you, you are wasting your life on earth.”
I can’t concur more with living life with such a motto. This sort of motto has inspired many leaders, teachers, humanitarian, philanthropists, and athletes.
Clemente was a man who spoke up for what he believed. The ESPN program directors noted that Clemente didn’t think anyone should go hungry, and he let his voice rise against this and any sort of injustice.
Hank Aaron was shown in the ESPN special program stating, “Clemente was a fine human being . . . not for Latin players . . .but for any player.”
Not only did major league baseball name its humanitarian award after Roberto Clemente in 1973, that same year Clemente became only the second player—after Lou Gehrig—to be elected to the Hall of Fame without going through the obligatory 5 year waiting period.
The Roberto Clemente Award is given to the baseball player who is considered to have contributed the most to the wider community each year. Players, like Curt Shilling and John Smoltz, consider the prize the most important they have ever received.
ABUSE AND MY MEMORY
The last time I personally saw Roberto Clemente alive was in the summer of 1972 when the Pirates were in St. Louis for a series.
That day my father, my brother, and I sat in the bleachers behind Clemente. I was just a kid, but I was able to see one of the worst forms of bigotry and racism dealt out by a single fan at a ballpark. Inning after inning that day, a drunken fan to-my-left in the bleacher seats yelled horrible things at Roberto Clemente.
Besides calling Clemente a “Bum”. Clemente was called every name in the book by this evil “fan” using the “M--- F---“ words, the “B—“ word, and the “N—“ word.
Nonetheless, that fan continued to receive his brew or beer from the Cardinal vendors at old Busch Stadium that night. No Cardinal security came to shut the man up until one of the late innings when Clemente when back to the wall to catch a high fly ball below us. Just as Roberto Clemente, my childhood star, arrived at the wall, the drunken and abusive fan dropped his cup of beer right on top of Clemente—drenching my hero in beer and suds.
Clemente had made note of the heckler much earlier and had told the groundskeeper to watch the man. Only after Clemente caught the ball and received a towel to clean himself up from that fan’s beer was that ill-mannered and fan ejected from the stadium by uniformed guards.
I am sure that the abuse taken on by Clemente registered a lifelong hatred against abusive language in my writings and world outlook, i.e. supporting the marginalized parts of American society.
NICARAGUA
