Baseball season! Time to dust off my Roberto Clemente avatar

:)

For those that want to read about the life of "The Great One"; both as a ballplayer and progressive humanitarian, there is a new biography due out April 25th. I'm reading an advance copy now and it's great so far...



http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0743217810&itm=2

"Born near the canebrakes of rural Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934, at a time when there were no blacks or Puerto Ricans playing organized ball in the United States, Clemente went on to become the greatest Latino player in the major leagues. He was, in a sense, the Jackie Robinson of the Spanish-speaking world, a ballplayer of determination, grace, and dignity who paved the way and set the highest standard for waves of Latino players who followed in later generations and who now dominate the game.

The Clemente that Maraniss evokes was an idiosyncratic character who, unlike so many modern athletes, insisted that his responsibilities extended beyond the playing field. In his final years, his motto was that if you have a chance to help others and fail to do so, you are wasting your time on this earth. "

:hi:

:hi:

:hi:

If he put his mind to it...and took his position as a role model for others seriously. Definitely a great man and a great ballplayer.

Hard not to make a comparison with Barry Bonds as an example of the opposite. But there are plenty of good role models in Baseball...they just don't get the coverage.

Great ball player, and an even greater humanitarian.

:-) and :hi: Richardo!

:hi: livetohike!

A giant among men.

I'll be on the lookout for the book. :hi:

0-4. Sheesh. :eyes:

:hi: Bunny!

think we're going to get there. :( Boy, they sure do stink so far, huh?

:bounce: :headbang:

I got to see that arm in action. :wow: