Today being Roberto Clemente Day, does anyone remember...
the exact quote of Hank Aaron when the National League manager during the All-Star game, I forget which year in the mid-'60s, asked Hank to make out the line-up card since he knew the players better.
Hank said (and I'm paraphrasing) something to this effect: "Sure. Roberto will lead off and get on; Ernie (Banks) will bat second and move him over; Willie (Mays) will bat third and bring him in; I'll bat clean-up and knock in Willie."
That's all I remember. He may have had McCovey next and Cepeda in there somewhere. Musial had retired by then.
Also there's a push to get Clemente's number 21 permanently retired from baseball. I'm all for it. Funny how Jackie Robinson's number 42 is retired, which is exactly double Clemente's 21.
Oh, I must add that Clemente was not only a great humanitarian (he died on a flight enroute to take food and aid to a Carribean nation hit by a hurricane I believe), he was also an activist who hosted Martin Luther King Jr. when he visited Puerto Rico.
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when Roberto hit the majors. I guess you could say we grew up together. He was on the forefront of the 'fight' for respect for Latinos in the major leagues - actually somewhat of a double-whammy - a dark-skinned Latino who had to fight a language barrier AND racial prejudice - indeed a 'pioneer fighter' for his brethren.
I remember the 'shock' when he was the first Pirate ever to have a contract for $100,000!!!!!
I cried on New Year's Day in 1973 when I awoke and heard the morning news tell of that fatal plane crash.
