I vividly remember Roberto Clemente throwing out an Oriole runner at third base from his position in rightfield in a 1971 World Series game. One of the most amazing throws I had ever seen. No hop, right on the line, laser beam. Broadcaster Vin Scully colorfully claimed, "Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania." The Pirates won the seven-game Series mainly because of MVP Clemente's hitting, fielding and throwing.He died tragically during an earthquake relief effort in 1972 when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed into the ocean. I'm looking forward to getting the graphic novel about Clemente's life by Wilfred Santiago titled 21.
There's a nice animated website about the book: http://21comix.com/
3 comments:
I love this!
I agree completely. Don Kessinger was one of the best fielding shortstops of all time. His graceful pirouettes were a baseball ballet. You don't see mnay who can replicate his technique.
Bill S.
The Golden Age of Baseball Cards Blog
Since I put my comment about Don K. in the wrong place, I thought I would comment about Roberto Clemente. While his accomplishments are well known, one that is not quite as well known is the fact that he hit the longest ball out of Wrigley Field in the park's history. The ball went out of the park slightly to the left and below the scoreboard.
Bill S.
The Golden Age of Baseball Cards Hall of Fame
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