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"I hear people say I swing at bad pitches. What is a bad pitch? If I can hit it, its not a bad pitch."
Roberto ClementeBavasi thought he would be a star. Whatever O’Malley thought of Clemen — Roberto Clemente
"Bavasi thought he would be a star. Whatever O’Malley thought of Clemente’s talent, however, did not matter as much as the matter of his color. He made it clear to Bavasi that bringing Clemente to Brooklyn would be a problem – less for the fans, he explained, than for the players, who might think that too many black men were taking jobs. Bavasi suggested they put the question to one of the players – Jackie Robinson. Bavasi explained the situation to Robinson, who asked who the team would trade or sell to make room to bring Clemente up to the Dodgers. Bavasi thought George Shuba, a white player, would be the one to go. Shuba was an outfielder, a good, though not in Bavasi’s estimation, great player. He was, however, a popular one. Dropping him to bring up Clemente, who might not even be ready to start, Robinson suggested, would not be wise – to bring up Clemente now, he advised Bavasi, would set back by five years the effort to truly integrate the game."
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
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Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December 31, 1972, Clemente was killed when his Douglas DC-7 airplane, which he had chartered for a flight to take and deliver emergency relief goods for the survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua,
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"The American League must be that fountain of youth they talk about. A lot of National League pitchers did pretty good in the American League this year."
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"He has these huge, strong hands. People always thought that because he hit with such power, he was this big guy. He wasnt, especially by todays standards. He came into spring training at 185 pounds. By the end of the season, he was 181. The power came from those hands."
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"I played with Willie Mays and I played with Roberto Clemente, and what I see in Barry is the same ability I saw in Willie and Roberto. I see a guy who trusts himself at the plate and in the field. If I managed against Barry, I wouldnt let him beat me. I wouldnt give him the opportunity."
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"I am having a plaque put on the front of my house. It will say, "To God, Mother, Father and Baseball."
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"If Roberto Clemente could sing, he would make Harry Belafonte wish he could hit."
Roberto Clemente