Roberto Clemente quotes - page 9
He violates many of the tested rules of hitting; by that, I mean he goes against what the greats of hitting like Ty Cobb and Ted Williams have said about hitting. He steps in the bucket but his hands are still there, ready to get the bat around on any pitch. He makes contact. He can wait on the ball and hit it down the first base line harder than most left-handers.
Roberto Clemente
I knew he was good when we won the World Series in '60, but I didn't know he was going to have the career he ended up having. He could do anything. He could hit, he could hit with power, he could run, he could field and he could throw with the best of them. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But I don't think he should've gone in when he did. He should've waited the required five years like everyone else. His kids were too young to appreciate the accomplishment.
Roberto Clemente
Bobby always came to me and told me how Murtaugh was against him. I tried to tell him he was wrong but he just wouldn't believe me. Really, Danny was on Bobby's side all the way but Clemente didn't understand. He did more for Bob than Bob realizes. But Bobby is right about some of the writers being against him. They hurt him more than anything, especially about that hypochondriac image. Bobby is one of the greatest players I've ever seen but he's the type who needs to be encouraged by everyone.
Roberto Clemente
I've never seen a ball hit farther in Wrigley Field than the home run Roberto Clemente sent flying out in the ninth inning. It passed out of view over the left-center bleachers and it must have gone close to 500 feet. Clemente says he never hit one that far before and even the Cubs admit it was the first one they ever saw leave the park at that spot. Ernie Banks said later he never hit one over that fence and never saw one hit as far as this one. Even Rogers Hornsby acknowledged it was the longest he ever saw hit at Wrigley Field.
Roberto Clemente
I think the way Clemente played – running out every hit and running recklessly into the wall – he realized he needed some time off and he took it. So many times I saw him catch balls that went into the gap and he'd personally keep the other guy from getting that extra base. For a pitcher, that was something that was really appreciated. An average outfielder many times will give up the extra base. Often that's the difference between winning and losing. At Forbes Field, we had one of the toughest right fields to play in baseball. Clemente could play the ball off that cement wall. Clemente would cut off the ball before it could get to the wall; he'd keep it from being a triple – he'd hold it to a single.”.
Roberto Clemente
Now if you ask me which player I'd pick first in that same era, I'd go with Henry Aaron and I'd take Mickey Mantle. Aaron could hurt you so many ways and he had that consistent power. Mantle played when he couldn't walk. Clemente was one of the all-time great players, but I'd take those guys over him.
Roberto Clemente
[Branch] Rickey was a fanatic about speed, and I guess I am too. And you can see for yourself: the [teams that] are built on speed win. I like to get a stopwatch time on a kid in a sixty-yard dash, because in baseball you run sixty yards more than you do anything: first to third, second to home, center field to right-center. But I never time a hitter from home to first. What good does it do you? Clemente – I don't think he ever ran to first base under 4.4 or 4.5. That follow-through of his brought him up and toward third base, so it took him three tenths of a second just to get out of the batter's box, but he was still the fastest man on our club.
Roberto Clemente
Then this 20-year-old kid, Roberto Clemente, whom we drafted out of the Brooklyn organization, has been a welcome surprise. I'd say he's potentially one of the finer players in the game. What I like best about the youngster is his hustle. He likes to play ball. In your last series with us at Pittsburgh, for example, he showed up with a rather high temperature. But Roberto gave it all he was worth.
Roberto Clemente
Roberto also tried to get Mazeroski to stay in baseball longer. Bill was having problems with his weight, and just thought he couldn't continue to fight the battle anymore. It was in his genes. His mother was very overweight, and Bill battled his weight from start to finish. Clemente told him, "Cash is OK and Stennett is OK, but you're still a better second baseman. You can come down to Puerto Rico with me and get in shape." Bill told him, "I think I can still play, but I can't fight this weight thing anymore." Maz had his own pride. But he didn't understand the pride thing with Clemente. Clemente was painting a picture every time he played. He didn't want to play unless he could perform at his absolute best.
Roberto Clemente
Sammy Sosa. And as good a player as Sosa is, I would have to say that Clemente was better. He had everything you looked for in a player-ability to hit, run, throw, and he was a good base-stealer. He could get that extra base for you. He was the spark of the ballclub, and a very unselfish player.
Roberto Clemente
"I'll bet you Harry Dalton would trade half his ballclub for Clemente,” Don Leppert, the Pirates' first-base coach, said. "He'd probably split the clubhouse down the middle, and give us a choice of either side, to get that guy into an Oriole uniform.” Leppert's only regret is that Clemente didn't have the chance to truly excel in the field. Other than his eye-popping throw to the plate in the sixth game, Clemente was required to field no more than ordinary chances. "Brooks Robinson had that great Series with the glove in 1970,” Leppert said, "but you've got to be lucky to field like he did. By that, I mean you've got to get the tough chances, and if Roberto had had some in this Series, he really would have shown them something.”.
Roberto Clemente
He is set in his ways. He likes to sleep a lot. He does not like noise. He is a hypochondriac. He loves his image. He believes people know you by the company you keep, so he is wary of being with people he does not like. He does not like Pittsburgh writers, because he thinks they don't like him. I agree with him. I think they don't like him either. Bob Clemente is my idol. The papers should readː "Bob Clemente and the Pittsburgh Pirates will be in town tonight..." That's how the story should begin. Clemente first.
Roberto Clemente
