50 years after tragic plane crash, Roberto Clemente's incredible legacy only continues to grow

[FakeNoose]

(caption) Roberto Clemente, star right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and member of MLB Hall of Fame, in 1967 .

(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2022/12/30/pirates-roberto-clemente-50th-anniversary-death-tom-walker-zorrilla-dorsey-memories-legacy-alive/stories/202212200063

New Year’s Eve marks 50 years since a plane carrying Roberto Clemente crashed while delivering earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua. In those five decades, the iconic Pirates outfielder’s legacy has soared to incredible and unimaginable heights.

In many ways, how Clemente is remembered matches how he carried himself as a player and person: flash and flair buttressed by tireless preparation and dedication, Clemente considering it his personal duty to perform for fans and be there for his teammates, whatever the cost.

Yet strip away baseball, and Clemente’s legacy is framed by his charity work and selfless care for others. There’s an annual MLB award in his honor. The mere mention of his name will cause professional athletes, regardless of sport, to think about leveraging their platform for good. And just think: All of it was started by a man who pursued this sort of thing as a lifestyle, not a way to attract attention.

“Dad was all about opportunities, not just baseball,” said Luis Clemente, one of Roberto’s three surviving sons. “Sports, art, music, you name it ... whether you were a kid or an adult, he wanted people to follow their dreams and know there were others who cared about them.”

- more at link -

Awesome write-up about Roberto Clemente, who died in his prime bringing humanitarian aid to the victims of the earthquake in Nicaragua. It's a story that needs to remembered and retold to each generation of young baseball fans.

Tears and cheers for Roberto Clemente, who will never be forgotten in Pittsburgh.

[Botany]

1. Mi llamo es Roberto not Bobby

"They" used to try to anglicise him by calling him Bobby to his face or when broadcasting his games
but Roberto would tell them Mi llamo es Roberto not Bobby. For this he was labeled as being uppity.

[Deep State Witch]

3. Pittsburgh Broadcasters

Did that all of the time. It used to annoy my Dad.

[Botany]

4. I think the local broadcasters were under pressure to do so.

Roberto was a proud man and proud to be a Black Puertorriqueño and to some
people that was seen as a threat. When I started watching them in the early 70s
national broadcasters always called him Roberto.

[FakeNoose]

8. There were no Spanish speaking journalists in Pittsburgh at the time

Probably there were very few Spanish-speaking journalists anywhere in the USA in the late 60's and early 70's. It was truly a shame that he was treated that way, but I don't believe they were intentionally insulting towards him.

Roberto Clemente was the first Puerto Rican player to be drafted into the Pirates, and one of the first in the major leagues. He opened doors for the other talented Latin American players who came after him. Nothing was ever easy for Roberto, but his talent was always recognized here.

[Deep State Witch]

2. One of my earliest memories

Was his death.

[twodogsbarking]

5. He could throw strikes from right field.

Saw him in person a few times as a child.

[mopinko]

6. he's a hero here in chi, too.

[GreenWave]

7. dio exactamente 3.000 sencillos

But I remember a racist talk show host pretending that this now deceased 5 tool player was not worthy of immediate induction into the Hall of Fame. They disguised it with a rush for sentimental voting. What if somebody else dies in a crash, should they be allowed, blah, blah, blah.

Yes caller:
So are you trying to deny a legend on some non-existent plane crash from the future?