Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero

I bought the Kindle version yesterday (9/24/13) and I'm about 3/4 through it. Tons of pictures. I've seen a lot of Clemente pictures but there still some here that I have never seen, (family pictures).The book is different because you are hearing stories about Clemente from people that knew him. I've read a lot of books on Clemente and I have seen most of the documentaries on him, but there is still a lot of things in this book that I have not heard before.You finally hear from Enrique (Ricky) the youngest son. I have not seen or heard from him before. He never attended tributes in Pittsburgh like his mom and brothers. It turns out that the reason is because he is afraid to fly; understandable.There is one story that I have never heard in any book about Clemente. It is also not in this book. It was not in the Maraniss book either. In either 1970 or 1971 Clemente got a hit at home that made him pass Pie Traynor as the all time Pirate leader. I was at the game. Art McKennan announced it over the P.A. and everyone gave him a standing ovation. Clemente never acknowledged the fans. He kept his head down looking at the ground. After the game a reporter asked him why he did that? Was he mad at the fans for something? Here was his answer; "Pie Traynor was my friend. I take no pleasure in beating his record".I passed that story on to Bud Selig a few years ago (in a letter) and he wrote back to me. He loved that story and wrote that he had also never heard it before. In future books I hope that they tell that story.In the book you find out that Roberto Jr. has had to deal with his name. Everywhere he went all anyone wanted to do was talk about his father. He understood why and he was always polite and thankful to the person but it also made it hard for him to be his own person. Can you imagine going through life with that name? How could you possibly live up to it?You do not have to be a Clemente fan to enjoy this book. It is easy to read and you will see a side of Clemente that most people have never known.I do not want to use Roberto's name cavalierly. He was my whole childhood. I would go to Forbes Field with my binoculars and just stare at him the whole game while he was in right field. I've often wondered how I would react if I met one of his sons. It would be very emotional for me. I would tell them those stories. I wrote a book about my life and I talk about Roberto in my book and the impact he made on my life.

This book has been written by the Clemente family and contains thoughts and opinions of family members and others who knew him very well. I believe the strength of the book lies in the numerous photographs, many of which are in color that I haven't seen in other places. None of the photos contain captions, but if you have followed baseball you will be able to recognize most of his teammates in the photos. If you have read David Maraniss's book on Clemente and other biographies you undoubtedly will come across stories found there as well. The book is a quick read with the reflections on Roberto's three sons, his wife Vera, and others who played a significant part in Clemente's lifeWhile a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm club in Montreal Roberto was dumfounded as to why he didn't play more. If he was having a bad game he got to play whereas if he was doing well he was pulled out of the game. He was about to return home to Puerto Rico when Pirates' scout Howie Haak explained for him to stick it out because the Pirates were going to claim him in the draft since the Dodgers were going to leave him unprotected. Haak made it clear that if Clemente quit he would remain the property of the Dodgers, but if he finished the season he would be drafted by the Pirates and would play every day. Pirates' general manager Branch Rickey was well aware of the Dodgers' attempt to "hide" Roberto knowing that scouts were in the stands observing possible players to draft that the Dodgers left unprotected.I believe Clemente's most memorable quote is when he stated, "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 of this Earth." I have several biographies of Roberto Clemente and I am happy to add this book to my collection. Thank you, Roberto. We will never forget "The Great One."

One of the true thrills of my childhood was seeing, up close many great athletes. None left a higher impression, nor more of a legacy of decency as did Roberto Clemente. Few athletes have had the presence of Roberto Clemente. There have been even less that have had the impact he left. The great Roberto was a magnificent athlete, with a a baseball IQ in the stratosphere.His off field accomplishments ,perhaps, dwarf his particular brand of genius on the diamond.This book, beautifully presented, richly illustrated,with texts by various members of the Clemente family ,is as loving and moving a tribute as i have yet encountered .Many many photographs of the family and of him in various stages of his career, most of which I have never seen previously{Roberto is one of my heroes, and I have collected most everything written on him}The printing and binding are first rate.I was touched, deeply, by the words of Mrs Vera Clemente and her sons.A wonderful tribute from a wife and children to a man whose influence only seems greater as the years pass.Perhaps we will never see his like again. Then again, we never saw it before him, either. HUGELY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!

This book was very enjoyable to read. It had a lot of insights that I had not been aware of. This book helped me to develop a greater appreciation for this man of great faith. This book clearly made it evident that Roberto was far more than a great baseball player, but a humanitarian who was determined to make this world a better place to live by speaking out against racism when it wasn't popular. The many things he did for people who he didn't even know was amazing. I am so proud of the life that Roberto lived and am blessed to be able to identify with him as a Hispanic Christian athlete. This was an excellent manuscript and I would recommend it to anyone. And the large amount of pictures in this book was a huge blessing!Victor TorresArmed4Battle.com26-Time World Arm Wrestling ChampionAuthor of "Armed for Battle and Destined for Glory" and "Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear"

When i was Young,i had a bat with ROBERTO CLEMENTE's signature on it because he was my idol.I remember the 1971 WORLD SERIES in which he was so great.Having read this book authorized by the CLEMENTE family,i realized that he was so much more than a fabulous ball player.His humanity and generosity have been celebrated by most of his teammates who respected him deeply.Some athlètes never die in the eyes of their loyal fans and ROBERTO CLEMENTE belongs to that very selected group.The book is filled with wonderful pictures.

Filled with rare photographs of the man and reflections from his family, a worthy tribute to a legend of both baseball and humanity. You must see the picture of him in what has to be the loudest suit I've ever seen on page 99.