"No one knows what eet is. They cant find anything. I run, I throw, I move eet hurts. Eet goes away and come back. Someday eet hurt . . . someday no. If eet doesnt cure, I quit baseball ... No fool around."
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,
"I learned a lot about Clemente from Rod Carew, who was my hitting instructor in Milwaukee. Carew told me that when he came up to the big leagues (in 1967), Roberto had made it very clear to the Latin guys (throughout baseball), "We’re a minority here in the States. Take pride in what you do, and take care of each other and the young (Latins) coming up."
Roberto Clemente"If Roberto Clemente could sing, he would make Harry Belafonte wish he could hit."
Roberto Clemente"This boy can do everything. In a couple of years, Ill bet hell be a star."
Roberto Clemente"Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had."
Roberto Clemente"Houston manager Harry Walker, who has been in baseball 34 years, and Coach Buddy Hancken, who has been in baseball 36 years, both said it was the greatest catch they had ever seen. "I never saw one like that off the wall," Walker said. "He hit it wide open. He never slowed up. I dont see how he could keep the ball in his glove. The thing that makes him so great is that he does it all in a jam," Walker said. "Hes one of the best clutch players in the game."
Roberto Clemente"I told them Clemente hit the outside pitch, but youve got to pitch him low and away—carefully. [...] His weakness is dangerously close to his strength."
Roberto Clemente