Clemente

[bocelts@scsn.net (R. Bentz Kirby)]

Luke wrote:


> I remember when I was little, my dad telling me stories about Roberto
> Clemente. (Sorry folks, he never was a basketball fan -- but today he'll take
> the Celts over anyone else due to MY allegiance). This was also unusual
> because he isn't a really big sports fan at all -- just a casual Pittsburgh
> fan. But he always spoke about Clemente with admiration and awe. He also tried
> to express to me the even greater admiration that my immigrant grandfather had
> for Roberto.
>
Luke:

Roberto may have been the best all round right fielder to ever play the
game.  He had good foot speed, hit for average, hit for power, could
field and throw.  He had it all.  It was a sheer delight to watch him
play.  In the last world series before he died, I think he threw out at
least two players trying to go to third on him.  One I remember he
caught the ball on the run, stopped, pivoted and threw a stike to
third.  After that, the opposing team ceased to even round second, they
just stopped.  I remember an announcer saying after he died that no
greater tribute could be payed.  What a player.

And the reason I comment on this is I was thinking recently about our
new generation of players like Camby (we don't want him), Sprewell, JR
Rider, Iverson and the like and the thought returned to me that not one
of them would have died taking supplies to an impoverished country that
they paid for themselves.  Clemente was not only a player, he was a
MAN.  Therein lies the problem with today's spoiled youth that are given
millions of dollars.  And we pay through the shoes for them.  I am sick
of it.  Only the love of the Celtics keeps me paying attention to the
NBA.  I probably will not watch 30 minutes of the Stupor Bowl.  I hope
the public will cause some kind of backlash against the situation in
sports by refusing to watch, but I doubt it.

Clemente was a great player and man who came along in a time when dreams
still were alive and it was a world where a regular person could afford
to go to a game.


--

Peace,

Bentz
bocelts@scsn.net
http://www.scsn.net/users/sclaw