TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Roberto Clemente left his mark on baseball with a style of play rarely seen in modern ML competition. In a combination of brilliant scouting and luck, the Pirates claimed the Puerto Rican-born 20-year-old from the Dodgers' Montreal farm club for $4,000 in the 1954 minor league draft.

Clemente came to a club that had suffered through three straight 100-loss seasons and was the laughingstock of baseball. He was not an immediate superstar, although his brilliant fielding ability and rifle arm were apparent from the beginning. He would eventually earn 12 Gold Gloves as a right fielder and set a ML record by leading the NL in assists five times.

In 1960 the righthanded hitter began a streak of eight consecutive seasons in which he batted no less than .312. He made the first of his 14 All-Star appearances in the two 1960 games. That year, Pittsburgh fielded its best team since Clemente's arrival, winning the NL pennant. He hit safely in every game of the World Series against the Yankees, batting .310. In Game Seven, he kept an eighth-inning rally alive with a hustling infield single, setting up a go-ahead homer by Hal Smith. But Clemente never wore his 1960 Championship ring. He finished eighth in the NL MVP voting, though he'd led the Pirates with 94 RBI; feeling snubbed, he wore his 1961 All-Star ring instead.

Clemente won the first of four NL batting titles with a .351 mark in 1961. For the next several years, he was consistently brilliant. In the outfield, he would track down every ball in range, often making spectacular diving or leaping catches. He played caroms out of the tricky right field corner at Forbes Field faultlessly. On routine flies, he used the basket catch made famous by his contemporary, Willie Mays. At bat, Clemente seemed forever uncomfortable, always rolling his neck and stretching his back. Standing deep in the box, he would pounce on inside pitches, or wait and drive outside deliveries to right field. Playing in spacious Forbes Field reduced his home run totals. His baserunning style was marked by effort and determination, with arms and legs pumping and helmet often flying off.

Despite his all-out play, Clemente was unjustly considered a hypochondriac. When he hurt, he said so, an uncommon practice in his day. Despite a severe back injury in 1954, an arm injury in 1959, and an attack of malaria in 1965, the label stuck, even though he played 140 or more games in eight straight seasons, 1960-67.

Clemente won two more batting titles in 1964 (.339) and 1965 (.329). Long overdue recognition finally came in 1966; though the Pirates finished third, and Clemente did not lead the league in any major offensive category, his career-high 29 HR and 119 RBI helped him win the MVP award. In 1967 he captured his fourth batting crown with a .357 average, his best ever. By then, he was becoming the elder statesman on a young Pittsburgh team. Undisputably one of baseball's greatest players, he still did not receive a great deal of national media attention until 1971, when Pittsburgh met Baltimore in the World Series. Clemente played like a man possessed, chasing down fly balls, unleashing great throws at every opportunity, batting .414 with 12 hits and two home runs, one in Pittsburgh's climactic Game Seven victory, and winning the Series MVP award.

On September 30, 1972, Clemente drove a double off Met pitcher Jon Matlack at Three Rivers Stadium for his 3,000th career hit. His .312 average that year marked his 13th .300 season and he was at or near the top of every batting category in Pirate history.

On New Year's Eve of 1972, Clemente boarded a DC-7 loaded with relief supplies for earthquake victims in Managua, Nicaragua. Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, a mile off the Puerto Rican coast. There were no survivors.

The five-year mandatory waiting period for Hall of Fame eligibility was waived and on April 20, 1973 -Four months after his death, Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente is inducted into the Hall of Fame in a special election. He received 93% of the vote. The Pirates retired his uniform number 21.

We have 60+ games featuring Clemente including:

August 17, 1957 at Ebbets Field two future hall of fame could be teammates face off Sandy Koufax faces Clemente

October 5 - 13, World Series Featuring Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees all seven games and Clemente hit safely in all of them. Listen to Game 7.

October 9 - 17, World Series Featuring Pittsburgh Pirates vs Baltimore Orioles all seven games and Clemente wins the World Series MVP.

Interviews from:

1963, 1967, 1971 after the World Series, Leo Cloutier in 1972, his speech at the baseball writers dinner 1972 and his final interview in 1972 before his death.

Check them all out here.

April 20, 1912 – The Boston Red Sox play the first game in the history of Fenway Park, after three previous attempts to play the opener have been rained out. Over 27,000 fans attended the opening, the Red Sox had “The Million Dollar” outfield of Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker, and Harry Hooper. In 1912, there was not a “Green Monster” (that came in 1934) Fenway had what was known as Duffy’s Cliff. A mound in leftfield and fans were able to get right on top of the game. The fans knew way back in 1912, they were the best seats in the house. Tris Speaker will end the game in the bottom of the 11th with a walk-off hit leading Boston to a 7-6 victory

April 20 1916 – The Chicago Cubs play their first game in the newly-built Federal League Weeghman Park, which will be renamed “Wrigley Field” in 1926 in honor of William Wrigley, who gained full ownership of the team seven seasons ago. The stadium, minus the upper deck added later, seats 14,000, but 20,000 fans are on hand. Greeting fans on the Addison Street side is JOA, a bear cub owned by Cubs (partial) owner J. Ogden Armour. Everyone goes home happy as Vic Saier’s 11th-inning sacrifice fly gives the Cubs a 7 – 6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

April 20 , 1938 – Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians pitches the first of 12 career one-hitters, beating the St. Louis Browns, 9 – 0. The only St. Louis hit in the League Park contest is a sixth-inning bunt laid down by backstop Bill Sullivan, who is called safe by rookie ump Ed Rommell on a very close play at first base.

April 20, 1943, embattled Boston Braves manager Casey Stengel is struck by a taxicab and suffers a broken leg. A local newspaper cruelly nominates the cab driver as “Sportsman of the Year” for knocking Stengel from action for most of the season. The fans have grown weary of Stengel’s humor in the face of the Braves’ pitiful record.

April 20, 1946 – In their Opening Game at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs are shut out by Harry Brecheen of the St. Louis Cardinals, 2 – 0. The game is the first in Cubs history to be televised, as Wilson does the play-by-play for WBKB.

April 20 , 1957 – Cincinnati Reds second baseman Johnny Temple in a game against the Braves allows a groundball by Gus Bell hit him to prevent a double play. The next day the Reds pulled off the same play. A new rule will come into play immediately calling for runners interference and umpires can award a double play if a batter intentionally interferes with a ball.

April 20 , 1967 – Tom Seaver the 22 year old rookie of the New York Mets records his first major league victory with a 6 – 1 triumph over the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium. Seaver goes 7 2/3 innings and gives up eight hits and one run. Seaver, a right-hander the Mets obtained in a lottery drawing that included the Braves, Phillies, and Indians after his original contract was voided. Seaver will become known as “the Franchise”.

April 20, 1982 – The Atlanta Braves record their 12th consecutive victory from the beginning of the season, a 4 – 2 decision over the Cincinnati Reds at Fulton County Stadium. The Braves eclipse the major league record set a year ago by the Oakland Athletics.

April 20, 1987, the Milwaukee Brewers win their 13th consecutive game to start the season, matching the Atlanta Braves of 1982 for the best start in major league history. Future Hall of Famer Robin Yount drives in the game-winning run in the seventh inning, as the Brewers defeat the Chicago White Sox, 5-4…

April 20 , 1997 – Mark McGwire becomes the fourth major leaguer to hit a home run over the left field roof at Tiger Stadium. The Athletics first baseman joins Harmon Killebrew (1962), Frank Howard (1968), and Cecil Fielder (1990) as the only players to accomplish the feat.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Which player's sixth career leadoff home run was also the home run that placed him in the 300/300 club?

Hint: #1 He was on one end of the worst trade in Orioles’ history, according to locals.

Hint: #2 He’s the only outfielder to win a Gold Glove at age 39.

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Who once led the league in home runs the same year that his batting average was barely over the Mendoza Line?

Hint: #1 He led the National League in home run for two different teams.

Hint: #2 A Hall of Fame home run slugger said of him, “He can hit them out of any park—including Yellowstone”.

A. DAVE KINGMAN  

- Ans. Kingman’s 37 HR in 1982 for NYM, led the NL. He ended the season hitting .204, the lowest ever for a league HR champion. Mendoza Line.

- #1 Kingman hit 48 HR to lead the majors for the Cubs in 1979. When he fell to 18 HR in 1980, he was traded back to the Mets where he managed 37 in ‘82.

- #2 The quote is attributed to Ralph Kiner, who had a 10-year playing career then a half-century career (1961-2013) as a baseball announcer.

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