Saturday, April 6, 2013

Roberto Clemente


On this date in 1973, the Pirates retire Roberto Clemente's uniform number 21.

"We ordered Montreal to keep him under wraps any way they could. Up there, he was eligible for the baseball draft, and we didn't want to lose anybody as promising as this kid. At Montreal, to keep Clemente from looking too good, our manager, Max Macon, kept moving him in and out of the lineup. Poor Roberto! He'd strike out and Max would let him play the whole game. If he hit a home run, Max would get him out of there quick. He was benched one game because he hit three triples the day before. He was taken out for a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the first inning of another game." - Dodgers GM Buzz Bavasi

No comments: