Roberto Clemente was one of the best baseball players ever. He smacked 3,000 hits from 1955 to 1972, was an All-Star 15 times, and won the World Series twice with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yet some reporters at the time did not use his real name. They called him “Bob” instead of “Roberto.” Why did they do that?
“They were uncomfortable with his Puerto Rican ,” said journalist Nathalie Alonso. Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. He grew up speaking Spanish there. “Clemente insisted on being called by his full name because he was proud of his identity,” explained Alonso. She wrote a children’s book about Clemente. The title is Call Me Roberto! — or ¡Llámenme Roberto! in Spanish.
Alonso says it was important to tell Clemente’s story. She said Clemente helped fight against racism in baseball. And she said he led the way for other Latinos in the sport. “He spoke out against ,” Alonso explained. “He demanded acceptance for himself and other Latin American players,” the author added. Alonso told News-O-Matic she “wanted to honor this part of his .”
Clemente was much more than a ballplayer. As a humanitarian, he often worked to help others in need. In 1972, Clemente was trying to deliver aid after an earthquake in Nicaragua. But he died in an airplane crash. The MLB honors his memory with Roberto Clemente Day each September 15. And the Roberto Clemente Award goes to a player who shows sportsmanship and community involvement.
Alonso writes about baseball. As a Cuban American woman, she admitted it is “not easy” to work in the world of male sports. But Alonso said Clemente “has given me courage and confidence to be who I am.” And she believes students can learn a similar lesson.
“I hope this book inspires young readers to embrace who they are with pride,” explained Alonso. “They don’t need to change themselves to succeed.”
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
Updated September 17, 2024, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
