Book Description
On New Year's Eve 1972, following eighteen magnificent seasons in the major leagues, Roberto Clemente died a hero's death, killed in a plane crash as he attempted to deliver food and medical supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake. David Maraniss now brings the great baseball player brilliantly back to life in Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, a book destined to become a modern classic. Much like his acclaimed biography of Vince Lombardi, When Pride Still Mattered, Maraniss uses his narrative sweep and meticulous detail to capture the myth and a real man.
Anyone who saw Clemente, as he played with a beautiful fury, will never forget him. He was a work of art in a game too often defined by statistics. During his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he won four batting titles and led his team to championships in 1960 and 1971, getting a hit in all fourteen World Series games in which he played. His career ended with three-thousand hits, the magical three-thousandth coming in his final at-bat, and he and the immortal Lou Gehrig are the only players to have the five-year waiting period waived so they could be enshrined in the Hall of Fame immediately after their deaths.
There is delightful baseball here, including thrilling accounts of the two World Series victories of Clemente's underdog Pittsburgh Pirates, but this is far more than just another baseball book. Roberto Clemente was that rare athlete who rose above sports to become a symbol of larger themes. Born near the canebrakes of rural Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934, at a time when there were no blacks or Puerto Ricans playing organized ball in the United States, Clemente went on to become the greatest Latino player in the major leagues. He was, in a sense, the Jackie Robinson of the Spanish-speaking world, a ballplayer of determination, grace, and dignity who paved the way and set the highest standard for waves of Latino players who followed in later generations and who now dominate the game.
The Clemente that Maraniss evokes was an
idiosyncratic character who, unlike so many modern athletes, insisted that his responsibilities extended beyond the playing field. In his final years, his motto was that if you have a chance to help others and fail to do so, you are wasting your time on this earth. Here, in the final chapters, after capturing Clemente's life and times, Maraniss retraces his final days, from the earthquake to the accident, using newly uncovered documents to reveal the corruption and negligence that led the unwitting hero on a mission of mercy toward his untimely death as an uninspected, overloaded plane plunged into the sea.
Download Description
"""On New Year's Eve 1972, following eighteen magnificent seasons in the major leagues, Roberto Clemente died a hero's death, killed in a plane crash as he attempted to deliver food and medical supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake. David Maraniss now brings the great baseball player brilliantly back to life in Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, a book destined to become a modern classic. Much like his acclaimed biography of Vince Lombardi, When Pride Still Mattered, Maraniss uses his narrative sweep and meticulous detail to capture the myth and a real man. Anyone who saw Clemente, as he played with a beautiful fury, will never forget him. He was a work of art in a game too often defined by statistics. During his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he won four batting titles and led his team to championships in 1960 and 1971, getting a hit in all fourteen World Series games in which he played. His career ended with three-thousand hits, the magical three-thousandth coming in his final at-bat, and he and the immortal Lou Gehrig are the only players to have the five-year waiting period waived so they could be enshrined in the Hall of Fame immediately after their deaths. There is delightful baseball here, including thrilling accounts of the two World Series victories of Clemente's underdog Pittsburgh Pirates, but this is far more than just another baseball book. Roberto Clemente was that rare athlete who rose above sports to become a symbol of larger themes. Born near the canebrakes of rural Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934, at a time when there were no blacks or Puerto Ricans playing organized ball in the United States, Clemente went on to become the greatest Latino player in the major leagues. He was, in a sense, the Jackie Robinson of the Spanish-speaking world, a ballplayer of determination, grace, and dignity who paved the way and set the highest standard for waves of Latino players who followed in later generations and who now dominate the game. The Clemente that Maraniss evokes was an idiosyncratic character who, unlike so many modern athletes, insisted that his responsibilities extended beyond the playing field. In his final years, his motto was that if you have a chance to help others and fail to do so, you are wasting your time on this earth. Here, in the final chapters, after capturing Clemente's life and times, Maraniss retraces his final days, from the earthquake to the accident, using newly uncovered documents to reveal the corruption and negligence that led the unwitting hero on a mission of mercy toward his untimely death as an uninspected, overloaded plane plunged into the sea. """
Customer Reviews:
Hometown Son Makes Good, Very Good.......2007-10-13
There is source material in this work for three separate books, actually: the first would be the story of Caribbean baseball and its grand entrance into the United States Major Leagues, as personified by Roberto Clemente, Vic Power, and others. The second volume would detail Clemente's extraordinary and unusual career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, including an impressive array of hitting and fielding records, two remarkable World Series, and the mixed reaction of Pirate Nation to his outspoken ways. The third part would be the dramatic and perhaps criminal tale of events leading to Clemente's untimely death in the midst of earthquake relief operations for stricken Nicaragua.
For better or worse, we have all of these stories in one volume which results in a powerful but dizzy tale that struggles to give all of these aspects of Clemente's life their due. And if there is a common thread that holds the work together, it is the Clemente drive to make his statement, whether it be in the face of prejudice and/or bureaucracy in the Brooklyn Dodger organization, the popular conception in Pittsburgh that he was a hypochondriac whiner, or his own perception of being slighted in the MVP voting in 1960.
Roberto Clemente was born on August 18, 1934, in what is today the San Juan suburb of Carolina. In the 1930's Carolina was hardscrabble living, a town whose passions fortunately included baseball. Maraniss provides a fine overview of organized baseball in the Caribbean. Its professional leagues, certainly those in Puerto Rico, were as hotly contested as Yankee Pinstripes and Red Sox Nation. By 18 Clemente was playing the outfield for the Santurce Cangrejeros. It was five years since Jackie Robinson broke the US color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the same Brooklyn Dodgers actively scouted the young Clemente. Despite the quality and intensity of Puerto Rican baseball at that time, there was also a sense on the island that native sons who excelled in US Major League Baseball would bring prestige to the Commonwealth.
Thus, Clemente incurred no family wrath when he signed with Brooklyn in 1954. Although Puerto Rican by birth, his dark skin presented as Negro, and he discovered the hard reality of North American racial bias. Assigned to Montreal of the International League, he was miserable and hidden on the Royals' bench by Dodger management until wily scouts of the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates plucked him away. The new Pirate Clemente was regarded as something of a loose cannon. There was truth in this assessment: the right fielder was entirely unorthodox in every aspect of his game--fielding, batting, running.
Clemente's early years in Pittsburgh were awkward, and his relations with the local press were marked by mutual cultural misunderstandings, but he became a favorite of the fans, including influential announcer Bob "The Gunner" Prince. His hustle and stats began to soothe the concerns of new manager Danny Murtaugh, who was building the famous 1960 squad that overcame the NY Yankees in a long remembered October classic. Clemente had an outstanding season and World Series, but the MVP award of 1960 was voted to Pirate shortstop and teammate Dick Groat. It can be said with some accuracy that Clemente took this setback to his death.
Despite a long and highly successful career with the Pirates, Clemente's personality was perplexing and often misunderstood. Maraniss wrestled mightily with this hard truth. Clemente was personally generous, gracious to fans, devoted to his family and friends. As the Pirates representative, he joined forces with Marvin Miller and the fledgling players union to back Curt Flood's groundbreaking challenge to the reserve clause. His marriage to Vera Zabala seems to have been a happy one; Clemente would refer to her as his closest friend and confidante [and certainly an extraordinary listener.]
But, by no stretch of the imagination could Clemente be described as a happy man. A lifelong insomniac, Clemente was impulsive and outspoken. A proud man, he quietly seethed through the 1960's as it became clear he was regarded as at best the third best outfielder in his league, always a step or two behind Mays and Aaron. When he managed his emotions, he was magnificent: the 1971 World Series was his opportunity to make his case for his body of work, and he used that stage magnificently. The following year, however, his anger would cost him dearly.
During the Christmas season of 1972 Nicaragua was devastated by an earthquake. This nation held a special place in Clemente's affections: he had played and managed there, and acquired many friends and mentors there over the years. And, as Maraniss notes many times, Clemente was consistently generous with his time, energy, and money. Many nations came to the aid of the stricken nation, but none more so than the people of Puerto Rico, prompted in no small part by Clemente's televised appeals and organized collections of food, supplies, and money.
As the rescue week wore on, Clemente became incensed that the aid being sent to the Nicaraguan people was being intercepted by the troops of strongman Anastasio Somoza. In retrospect, there were a number of diplomatic ways to address the problem. Clemente opted for a physical showdown at the Managua Airport with the Somoza people. He hastily contracted for another relief plane in which he himself would be a passenger. His homework was poor--the only charter available was an under serviced war horse owned by amateurs who in truth did not know how to fly such a plane, and then loaded it with supplies well above the plane's capacity. One by one, his friends begged off the flight. Nonetheless, Clemente's "blood was up" for his cause. The thought of Clemente facing off with Somoza is tantalizing, but it never happened. The ill advised rescue flight crashed into the sea almost in sight of the San Juan Airport. Clemente the ballplayer was dead; Clemente the icon was canonized.
On "Clemente".......2007-09-17
Because he played his entire baseball career in Pittsburgh, Roberto Clemente never received the attention he deserved from sportswriters whose worlds revolved around New York. Perhaps for the same reason, the Pirates rightfielder was also overlooked by top biographers until recently. When David Maraniss published Clemente in 2006, it was time that someone of stature wrote about the first great Latino ballplayer who later achieved heroic status after dying in an earthquake relief effort.
Maraniss' effort is solid, though not quite perfect. He appropriately devotes enough pages describing life in Clemente's homeland, Puerto Rico, and the segregated cities and towns where Clemente spent his early years in the major leagues. Maraniss serves up a reminder of the Jim Crow south and shows that it also affected black Latinos. At Pirates spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, Clemente and the other black players were barred from the downtown hotels, pools and golf clubs where white ballplayers and their families went. Maraniss even recalls there was a designated "colored night" at a county fair, and whites stayed away. Maraniss also describes Schenley Heights, the small but tight-knit black neighborhood where Clemente lived in Pittsburgh. Schenley Heights was also home to the offices of the Pittsburgh Courier, the black newspaper that focused on covering black ballplayers. Appropriately, the Courier's coverage of Clemente is also a focus of Maraniss' biography.
As for Clemente himself, Maraniss succeeds in showing more than the skilled hitter and speedy rightfielder with a shotgun arm. He reveals a proud, yet idiosyncratic, Latino who is frustrated with the white sports establishment. He shows Clemente spouting off about white sportswriters who tended to quote him in broken English. And in a chapter titled "Alone At the Miracle," Maraniss poignantly shows Clemente celebrating the 1960 World Series victory by slipping out a side door of Forbes Field and finally "radiating happiness" after he is mobbed by his fans.
Maraniss devotes about 350 pages to Clemente--roughly 150 less than he needed for his acclaimed biography on Vince Lombardi. It seems fair to wonder if Maraniss would have delved even deeper into Clemente's life if the author were a Pittsburgher rather than a Wisconsin man. At times Clemente's story seems dependent on those who weren't among those who were closest to him--namely affable ex-pitcher Steve Blass, now a sportscaster. There are moments when Maraniss relies on Blass' point of view when it doesn't seem natural, such as when Blass, who is white, seeks to explain Clemente's fear of being misinterpreted when speaking English.
In the end, Maraniss does his homework and writes thoroughly about the plane crash that killed Clemente while he was on the way to help victims of the earthquake in Nicaragua. Clemente died in a shoddy plane that was overloaded with relief supplies, and many of the details are gleaned from government records. So in all, Maraniss crafted a fine book, though not a flawless one, about a man who finally deserved the extra recognition.
Tragedy Relived.......2007-09-13
Did you ever have trouble reading a book (particularly biography) because you knew that it would end tragically? This was my problem with David Maraniss's excellent biography of the late baseball star and Puerto Rican icon, Roberto Clemente. You see, near the end of his fabled career, Clemente rode on a plane carrying relief supplies from Puerto Rico to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. The charter flight didn't make it half a mile off the runway before crashing into the shark-infested waters off the island. I knew of the tragic death, and still felt that by delaying reading about it, I could somehow delay its reality, or at least its renewed emotional impact on me.
One of the most gifted, dedicated and competitive athletes ever to play the game, Clemente was often tormented by the lack of recognition given him in the days of stars like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson, and made no bones about his displeasure. His strong Hispanic accent was lampooned in the press, and his dedication to playing only in top form was ridiculed as "jaking" by some, creating a prickly relationship between writers and Roberto in most cases.
But in his private life, Clemente was a charming and generous man, dedicated to improving the lives of children on his home island, and to reaching out to a variety of fans/strangers, who became friends and then like part of the Clemente family. Maraniss describes well Clemente's growth into this persona from the often embittered young man who one time slugged a bystanding fan out of frustration.
Clemente's growth from a talented, but somewhat immature youth to baseball elder (and heroic MVP of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series championship) and Puerto Rican statesman (one friend said after Clemente's death that he knew that Roberto's life would consist of "playing baseball as long as he wanted to and then becoming governor of Puerto Rico."), makes the historical certainty of his tragic death all the more distressing. To pile on even more pain, the airplane crash was essentially inevitable, the combination of greed and oversight on the ground in Puerto Rico with the plane, its operators and its pilot, and the corruption of the Somoza regime in Nicaragua, who commandeered a majority of imported relief supplies for their own enrichment. Clemente boarded the doomed plane so that his presence in Nicaragua could insure that the supplies would reach the needy.
By the time of his death, Clemente was so revered on his home island that locals believed that he would walk tattered out of the sea to safety. But all that was found of him was one sock. Having read Maraniss' detailed account of these events, I feel worse about Clemente's death than I did when it happened (I was still a callow 18-year old American League fan at the time.) What a loss to humanity and for all the wrong reasons--greed and sloth ending a philanthropic act and the life of a great man. I wasn't around when Jesus supposedly died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, an overreaching tragic story that I still have trouble relating to, but I was alive on New Year's Eve in 1972, when Roberto Clemente died trying to relieve the suffering of people in Nicaragua.
Did I mention that I had a hard time finishing the book? I did all right until the last section, as Maraniss includes plenty of baseball action, including Bill Mazeroski's famous home run that beat the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series (I was six at the time and didn't know or care). He also includes a retrospective on baseball in Puerto Rico, and the pioneers that first played in the U.S major leagues--Hiram Bithorn, for whom the main stadium in San Juan was name (I visited there in the late '80s) was the godfather of Puerto Rican baseball. Maraniss also handles the twin subjects of U.S racism against blacks (unknown in Puerto Rico) and Hispanic "ethnicism" in the U.S.
There is an bittersweet upside to story, as indicated by Maraniss's subhead "The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero". It's enriching to read the story of a such a deep and giving soul in the world of baseball at a time when most of what we read about outside the foul lines relates to contract negotiations and allegations regarding use of performanc enhancing drugs. I emotionally recommend this book to Clemente's fans (who've probably already read it), to baseball fans in general, and to all readers who want to learn more about what makes up a great man.
Great gift idea.......2007-08-09
Recommended by a friend who got the book as a b-day gift. Bought it as a b-day gift for my husband who really loved it. He said he learned a lot about Clemente even though he was a lifelong fan.
A great baseball player and a great person.......2007-08-07
David Maraniss's biography (hagiography?) of the great Puerto Rican baseball star Roberto Clemente is destined to become a classic of the genre. I grew up outside of Pittsburgh but was too young to have any memories of Clemente as a boy. I just remembered him as a great player who died tragically trying to help others. There is, of course, so much more to his career and his life, and I think that Maraniss has captured the essence of his complex personality. Whether you are a baseball fan, a Pirates fan, or just want to learn more about Clemente, you'll enjoy this book.
Unlike many other sports superstars, who are little more than pampered, whiney, self-centered egomaniacs, Clemente was a great man both on and off the field. He certainly had his dose of ego and pride, and his feathers were easy ruffled by reporters who didn't show him due respect, but as I was reading this book I couldn't help but compare Clemente's life to that of Mickey Mantle. There is no question that Mantle was, on the field, an all around better player than Clemente, but rose-colored Billy Crystal myopics aside, Clemente was everything off the field that Mantle wasn't. Clemente was a fiercely proud man who spent his off seasons playing in the Puerto Rican league and playing/coaching Latin American teams because he felt he owed it to his native land and people. He was a family man and father who wanted to raise his children right so that (in Maraniss's words) they were respected and they respected others. Mantle spent his non-baseball time drinking and chasing women, all five of his sons growing up to be alcoholics like their father. Ultimately Clemente died trying to help others in need.
There are two things about this book that really annoyed me. First, Maraniss goes out of his way throughout the book to insert his own political views (Clintonian/big city liberal) into the story. Whether you agree with his views or not, it really detracts from the story as it has nothing to do with Clemente. There is a long discussion on the chapter about the earthquake in Managua where Maraniss describes Howard Hughes's selfish and heartless retreat from Managua to a luxury hotel in London. Hughes's links to Richard Nixon, the dictator Somoza (which Maraniss points out is a West Point grad), and the general corruption in Nicaragua are inserted in the story to belittle Nixon, Republicans, and the wealthy. These are certainly interesting issues in their own right, but contribute absolutely nothing to Clemente's story. The other thing that I didn't like was that Maraniss wrote the biography in such a manner that Clemente's tragic death hangs over the whole tale, as in some type of Greek tragedy where the hero's ultimate destiny is pre-ordained. More drama than biography.
The bottom line though is that this is a great biography of a sports superstar who is worthy of our admiration whose off the field character far exceeded anything he did on the field. Clemente was the kind of man that we would like our heros to be. Maraniss has captured his essence, and I think that you'll like this book even if your aren't a big Pirates or baseball fan.
Book Description
One of the Most Important Teams in the History of Sports In 1947, major league baseball experienced its first measure of integration in the modern era when the Brooklyn Dodgers brought Jackie Robinson to the National League. While Robinson's breakthrough opened the gates of opportunity for African Americans and other minority players, the process of integration proved slow and uneven. It was not until the 1960s that a handful of major league teams began to boast more than a few Black and Latino players. But the 1971 World Championship team enjoyed a full and complete level of integration, with half of its twenty-five-man roster comprised of players of African American and Latino descent. That team was the Pittsburgh Pirates, managed by an old-time Irishman.
In The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, veteran baseball writer Bruce Markusen tells the story of one of the most likable and significant teams in the history of professional sports. In addition to the fact that they fielded the first all-minority lineup in major league history, the 1971 Pirates are noteworthy for the team's inspiring individual performances, including those of future Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski, and their remarkable World Series victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. But perhaps their greatest legacy is the team's influence on the future of baseball, debunking the myth that a multicultural clubhouse could not win and inspiring later championship teams such as the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics to open their doors fully to all talented players, regardless of race, particularly in the new era of free agency.
Customer Reviews:
You'll Feel Like You're Reliving the 1971 Season!.......2007-10-07
The subtitle of Bruce Markusen's The Team that Changed Baseball is "Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates." I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and the '71 World Series is one I'll never forget. On top of all that, Roberto Clemente has always been a hero of mine, so I simply had to read this book.
One of the things that makes this title so special is the difference between media coverage of a World Series back then vs. one today. Every aspect of the game and players lives is covered today. It's hard to miss even the smallest detail. Back then you had the game itself and a couple of local sports columnists. No ESPN. No Internet. No DVR-ing all the pre-game hype on every single channel. Even though I read every article I could back in 1971, I learned a lot of new tidbits thanks to this great book.
Markusen does a fantastic job of taking you back to the entire 1971 season. His extensive interviews with many of the players and coaches make this book a treasure for any Pirates fan of the 1970's. Month-by-month regular season assessments of the team's performance, roster changes, etc., lead up to almost 40 pages of coverage dedicated to the '71 World Series...yet another one the Pirates were supposed to lose, this time, to the extremely talented Baltimore Orioles.
My favorite part of this book is the "Where Are They Now" chapter he closes with. It was fun to read what some of these guys are up to now, especially the ones I hadn't even thought about since the early '70's. Any baseball fan will enjoy this book, but if you're a Pirates fan and you followed the team in 1971, you definitely need to add The Team that Changed Baseball to your library.
Not exactly what I expected.......2007-08-02
Those that love baseball or the Pittsburgh Pirates will love this book. The author has written a very engaging and easy read concerning the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates.Therein lies my problem. This book is essentially a chronological history of one year of one baseball team. I was expecting far more regarding integration and racial and social conflicts than what was included. There are whole chapters devoid of any discussion of race, integration, and other aspects one would associate with these issues. When the author does discuss the issue of integration in baseball, the coverage remains very limited and leaves the reader asking far more questions. One would think there would be far more coverage and debate of this issue given the title of the book and the supposed focus of the effort. However, this work is essentially a view of one year in a professional baseball team. Those that love baseball will find it a very good work whereas those who were hoping for a deeper study of professional baseball's struggle with integration, may want to look elsewhere.
Integration in Major League Baseball.......2007-01-25
I lived in Pittsburgh in 1971 in an integrated neighborhood, watched the Pirates play but did not realize what was happening with the 1971 Pirates. This book taught me about Roberto Clemente's struggle throughout his career, particularly in spring training in the south. It also taught me about the Pirates' management and how they ignored the color line and created history in 1971.
Seeing Roberto Clemente is even better.......2006-08-20
This book is about the Pittsburgh Pirates first and Roberto next however it was hard not to have Clemente on my mind throughout the story. As a boy in the fifties my father would give me $1.00 for the bus ride and right-field seats to the Pirates at Forbes Field. I will never forget the 'basket catches' and deadly throws to third base if any player dared to try and steal third. The Pirates played at Three Rivers in 1971, not a great stadium for baseball (or for football for that matter), seeing 10-12 games that season. Bruce Markusen captured my experience in surprisingly more detail than I would of remembered. This is great read for anybody who loves baseball, how teamwork can make a difference, seeing a manager at his best at the end of his career and performance from some of the best athletes in the game.
A Well Done Review of the 1971 Pirates' Season .......2006-06-10
Reviews of various team seasons have become popular over the past several years, and Bruce Markusen has provided us with a commendable effort of the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. I am a fan of the Detroit Tigers, but respected this Pirates team enough to organize a Little League trip to Pittsburgh in August of 1972 to see this team play. The only reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because books of this sort are often heavy on what took place from inning to inning in several games. I found this true here, also. The author gets his title for the book from the diversity of players that made up the team's roster (black, white, and Latino). Since the 1971 Pirates other teams have thankfully adopted the belief that a position on the roster should be based strictly on ability. The 2006 Tigers of Jim Leyland emphasized out of Spring Training that he will select the best 25 players. Author Markusen also provides us with a "Where Are They Now" of each of the team members. The book is a quick read (213 pages). You don't have to be a Pirates' fan to enjoy the book, just an appreciation of baseball history.
Book Description
On an island called Puerto Rico a boy named Roberto Clemente dreamed of nothing but winning at baseball.
With no money -- but plenty of determination -- Clemente practiced on muddy fields with a glove made from a coffee sack. Little League became minor league, which turned into winter league...and, finally, he made it to the major leagues! With lightning speed, towering home runs, and grand slams, Clemente introduced himself to America.
Spare, evocative language -- and magnificent illustrations -- tell the story of a great athlete and even greater man who rose through the ranks of baseball to become one of the most admired players of all time.
Customer Reviews:
what you did not know.......2006-07-09
I enjoyed it cause I found out more about Roberto Clemente.
Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates and PR.......2005-03-19
A well-written, almost poetically spare introduction to the life of Roberto Clemente. Starts with his life of poverty in Puerto Rico to his climb to the top of the major leagues. Ends with Mr. Clemente's untimely death in an airplane crash when he was transporting relief supplies to earthquake victims. Illustrations capture the feel of the times and experiences as well as the excitement of the sports action. This excellent picture book will introduce another generation to a real hero. Karen Woodworth Roman, Librarians.info
Book Description
The great right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente was proud of his family, his native Puerto Rico, and his ability to play baseball. “Baseball fans will welcome this book because of the fast-paced action, but the temper of the man and his concern for human beings will leave a lasting impression on the younger reader.”--The Horn Book
Customer Reviews:
Book of Pride.......2006-07-12
I enjoyed this book so much. Coincidently I finished it just before seeing a ceremony in honor of Roberto Clemente with his widow Vera present at the 2006 MLB All-Star game. From reading this book I understand why the word "Pride" is always used when discussing Roberto Clemente. This book carres the theme of Roberto's pride from beginning to end. Pride not only in himself but in his family and country. Many may say this is not a book about baseball, but those who know the magic of baseball understand that you can't seperate the game from the players. It is the great person in the player that makes the game of baseball so wonderful. Roberto was a great baseball player and an even greater man. Puerto Rico should feel honored in having him as one of their native sons.
Pride of Puerto Rico.......2006-03-03
My 12-yr old son read this book for a report.
He didn't complain too much and finished pretty quickly so I guess he liked it.
Very nice and easy to understand........1999-05-01
It was so good that when I received it, I could not put it down till the end. That night I went to bed at 4:33AM. Mr.Robert Walker, 2 thumbs up to a well documented piece of art. Again THANK YOU for this biography.
It was my favorite.......1998-11-30
He palyed for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was the youngest in his family, just like me. His dad made alot of money compared to the others that lived around them. Roberto rode his bike to another town to try out for a softball team. It was only a couple of miles from his home. His school was trying to teach him to speak English, and he didn't do very good, but he tried.
Customer Reviews:
Go Pirates!!!.......2006-09-27
I am reading the book We'll Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente. It is a very good book. I decided to read it because I saw the 2006 All-Star Game. This book relates to me because I love baseball too. Roberto Clemente passed away on his way to help earthquake victims.
GO PIRATES!!!!
Cole E. - Age 9, Holland, PA
The Great One.......2002-01-22
We'll Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente is a great book. It tells all about the life of Roberto Clemente.He was the first Latin American in the Hall of Fame. He grew up very poor in Puerto Rico. He had to go work in the sugar cane fields to help his family when he was only six years old. Even though he had to work to help his family he still had time to play baseball. They used tin cans for balls and broomsticks for bats. Roberto was such a good player that he played in the San Juan League when he was only eight years old. When he was eighteen he went to a tryout and was discovered by some Major League scouts from the Brooklyn Dodgers. They sent him to the Montreal Expos, their farm team. While he was playing for the Expos he was discovered by the Pittsburg Pirates who drafted him. Roberto became a very famous baseball player.He won the MVP award in 1966 and was the National League batting champion four times. Roberto was not only a great baseball player he was also a great person. He was very proud of being Puerto Rican and worked hard so that people of all colors would be treated equally. He was killed in a plane accident while he was delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. I think this was one of the best books I ever read. Anyone that likes sports would like this book. I learned a lot about someone that I had never heard of before.
The Great One.......2002-01-22
We'll Never Forget You, Roberto Clemente is a great book. It tells all about the life of Roberto Clemente.He was the first Latin American in the Hall of Fame. He grew up very poor in Puerto Rico. He had to go work in the sugar cane fields to help his family when he was only six years old. Even though he had to work to help his family he still had time to play baseball. They used tin cans for balls and broomsticks for bats. Roberto was such a good player that he played in the San Juan League when he was only eight years old. When he was eighteen he went to a tryout and was discovered by some Major League scouts from the Brooklyn Dodgers. They sent him to the Montreal Expos, their farm team. While he was playing for the Expos he was discovered by the Pittsburg Pirates who drafted him. Roberto became a very famous baseball player.He won the MVP award in 1966 and was the National League batting champion four times. Roberto was not only a great baseball player he was also a great person. He was very proud of being Puerto Rican and worked hard so that people of all colors would be treated equally. He was killed in a plane accident while he was delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. I think this was one of the best books I ever read. Anyone that likes sports would like this book. I learned a lot about someone that I had never heard of before.
WONDERFUL!! A MUST Read for all young baseball fans........1999-08-06
This book tells the story of Roberto Clemente in a clear, insightful, and entertaining way. It will be adored by kids, but also enjoyed by adults. It moved me to tears.
Customer Reviews:
Excelente biografia.......2006-08-27
Esta excelente biografia de Roberto Clemente nos adentra a la vida de un idolo que, a pesar del tiempo, sigue siendo un ejemplo para todos. En ocasiones se tiende a olvidar sus vivencias, pero David Maraniss nos ilustra con lujo de detalles muchos detalles desconocidos de esta leyenda. Este libro incluye fotos, datos estadisticos y es un excelente recurso para aquellos que deseen conocer mas de este heroe que trascendio el beisbol, y las fronteras sin dejar su humildad, y amor hacia el projimo. Hacen falta más personas como Roberto Clemente. Excelente libro.
Amazon.com
One of the nicer outgrowths of the ascendancy of slugger Sammy Sosa has been the renewed spotlight on the life and career of Roberto Clemente, the player he idolized and modeled himself after. One of the great stars of the midcentury, Clemente was the first Latin to be enshrined in Cooperstown after playing 18 Major League seasons, posting a .317 career batting average, and leading Pittsburgh to two World Series. He prowled right field with amazing grace, possessing what many consider the greatest arm in the game's history. Yet his grandeur resides as much in what he accomplished by example off the field: "Any time you have an opportunity to accomplish something for somebody who comes behind you and you don't do it, you are wasting your time on earth," notes Clemente in his biography. He didn't waste his abbreviated allotment. A true humanitarian--baseball gives an annual public service award in his name--he worked tirelessly to help those in need; indeed, he died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1972, on the way to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Born in poverty in Puerto Rico, Clemente rose on the strength of his magnificent talents, but never forgot his roots. His was a complex, often thrilling life; Markusen, a senior researcher in the library at the Hall of Fame, has done it justice in this comprehensive and thoughtful examination of a remarkable human being who lived on and off the field with equal passion. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
Twenty-five years ago, Roberto Clemente made baseball history when he became the first Latin American to enter the Hall of Fame. Roberto Clemente: The Great One explores one of the games' most dynamic players and perhaps its most selfless humanitarian. From mosest beginnings in Carolina, Puerto Rico, to a legendary career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, to his tragically premature death in a plane crash, Interviews with teammates and close friends.
Customer Reviews:
Rave Review.......2000-02-11
I'm not sure where the previous reader is coming from. There is plenty about Clemente the man-- his sense of humor, his pride, his work ethic, his philanthropy. Yes, the emphasis is on baseball in this book, but thoughts on Clemente's personality and character are interspersed throughout. Great descriptions of Clemente in the World Series and in the '71 All-Star Game. I highly recommend this book.
Interesting because of the subject.......1999-06-10
This biography of Roberto Clemente could have been so much better. It's easy enough to read, because Clemente himself is so interesting, but there are flaws with it. The book is not well-edited and tends to repeat itself too much; for instance, the subject of reporters quoting Clemente phonetically is mentioned several times throughout the book, as if the writer feels the need to reintroduce us to this fact over and over and over. Also, little sense of Clemente as a man emerges.
An excellent read for fans of the GREAT CLEMENTE.......1999-04-27
The 1971 World Series was the first one that I remember vividly. I was nine years old at the time, and I remember rooting for the Pirates. I also vividly remember how Clemente took over the series. His talents were put on the national spotlight for baseball fans in a big way.
This book in great detail displays not only Clemente's terrific skills as a baseball player, but also his wonderful work as a humanitarian and the numerous good deeds he did for men,women,and children.
The book also discusses the many struggles that Clemente and other Latinos experienced during their careers. Clemente was an extremely proud man, and was justified in his anger when certain people tried to 'Americanize' him.
It is rare for an athlete to become more popular after his death, but I believe that Clemente is a prime example of this. He never really got the national exposure he deserved until the 1971 World Series, and his death in 1972 cut short not only a tremendous playing career, but more importantly deprived the world of no doubt more humanitarian efforts to those in need.
This is the second book written by Bruce Markusen that I have had the pleasure of reading. His talents as a baseball writer are evident, this is by far the best baseball book that I have read. I look forward to the next book!!!!!
FIVE STARS for a greatly detailed book on one of the best baseball players of our time, but most important, one of the best human beings of our time.
A must read for Baseball fans.......1999-04-07
This book is a necesity for fans of the game, and fans of a truly great baseball player and humanitarian. Roberto Clemente was and still is a role model to all. Bruce Markusen does an incredible job relaying Clemente's legacy to his readers. Roberto is my favorite baseball player of all time, and he played for my favorite team. It is great to see such an accurate portrail of such a legend. To realize that athletes can be more than just a source of entertainment is hard enough to understand, let alone write an entire book on the subject. I highly recomend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about a true "legend of the game". I would also like to add that Bruce Markusen autographed my copy of this book. He is a great author and a class act.
A Great Read.......1998-11-29
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Its detail and comprehensiveness make it an insightful read into a complex man. I recommend it highly.
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| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
Johnny U: The Life and Times of John Unitas
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