CHAPTER ONEA LEGEND IS BORN
“Roberto was born to play baseball.”
—Luisa Walker, Roberto’s mother
On a rainy summer day in 1934, on a small Caribbean archipelago—a group of islands—with the Atlantic Ocean above it, the Caribbean Sea below, and mountains towering in the middle, a future baseball legend was born.
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker entered the world with no shortage of love in his life. He was the youngest of seven children in a close-knit community in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Thirty-eight short years later, he would be mourned and revered by countless Puerto Ricans and other Latinx and baseball fans around the world as one of the greatest baseball players and humanitarians (someone who does good) to ever live.
Like many Latinx children, Roberto’s name tells the story of his family. In Puerto Rican and other Latinx cultures, children use both of their parents’ last names, not just one. Clemente came from his father, Melchor Clemente, and Walker came from his mother, Luisa Walker. When he moved to the mainland United States as an adult, some people thought Roberto’s “real” last name was Walker, because it went last. But for most of his career on the mainland United States, he would go by Roberto Clemente.
Melchor Clemente was fifty-one when his youngest child was born. Melchor was born in 1882, less than ten years after Spain technically ended enslavement in Puerto Rico. Enslavement in the mainland United States had ended only a few years before that.
Melchor was a no-nonsense man who supported his family by working hard as a foreman at a sugarcane processing company. He was a short man, often seen with his straw hat and the machete he used to work with sugarcane. Like Roberto, Melchor had rich dark brown skin and serious brown eyes.
Luisa Walker was from Loíza, Puerto Rico. She was the first of many strong women who would shape Roberto’s life. By the time she had Roberto, Luisa’s life had already been marked by tragedy, and it would not be the last time.
Before Luisa married Melchor, her first husband, the father of her two oldest children, Luis and Rosa, had passed away. Despite their hardships, Luisa created a warm and welcoming household for their family. She worked harder than anyone, including Melchor. Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, educating and raising the children fell to her, as it did to many women at the time. Luisa also sewed and cooked for the sugarcane workers to earn money. She made one of the front rooms of their modest house a makeshift grocery store. On the weekends, she sold meat. Luisa had powerful shoulders and arms that could lift the carcass of a full cow and butcher it—strength that Roberto would inherit. When talking about his mother, Roberto would later say she never had time for dancing. But she taught her children to find joy in life and in the little things.
* * *
When Luisa and Melchor were raising their family, much like today, Puerto Ricans were Black, brown, white, and every possible combination in between, many times all within the same family. That’s because Puerto Ricans come from three main groups of ancestors: Taínos, Spaniards, and Africans.
Taínos, farmers and hunter-gatherers who originally lived in Puerto Rico, became the dominant culture in approximately 1000 CE, more than one thousand years ago. They referred to the Puerto Rican archipelago as Borinquen (sometimes also called Boriken or Boriquen). Borinquen and many of the words and names Taínos used more than a thousand years ago are still used today. If you’ve ever read or spoken about a juracán (hurricane), canoa (canoe), iguana, hamaca (hammock), or manatí (manatee), then you’ve been using Taíno words.
Taínos also had their own ball game, known as batu, which they played on the batey, a ball field they used for special ceremonies. The game involved throwing a ball made out of resin (almost like a plant-made glue) and leaves to a player who would hit the ball with a bat that looked like an oar. Some people who study language believe that the words for “bat” in Spanish (bate and batear) come from the Taíno words batey and batu.
Taínos lived in small villages known as yucayeques led by their caciques, or chiefs. From 1000 CE until 1492, when Christopher Columbus and his Spanish crew invaded Puerto Rico, there was a female chief, known as a cacica. According to local legend, the Spanish baptized Yuiza, the cacica, and she changed her name to Loíza. This later became the name of the town where Roberto Clemente’s mother was born many years later.
When Columbus landed in Borinquen, he began referring to it as San Juan Bautista in honor of an important Catholic saint believed by Catholics to have baptized Jesus Christ. But once the Spaniards realized there was gold on the island, they began referring to it as Puerto Rico, or “rich port,” and renamed the capital city San Juan.
The Spaniards were not kind to the Taínos and thought less of them because they did not act like them or have the same weapons. The Taínos, who had never met people who acted or looked like the Spaniards, were no match for Spanish guns or germs. The Spaniards mined gold and grew sugarcane, tobacco, and coffee in Puerto Rico, all of which require a lot of hard work in the Puerto Rican heat. Instead of paying for this labor, the Spanish decided to force people to work against their will, enslaving the Taínos. Shortly after, the Spanish brought boats full of other enslaved individuals taken from their homes on the African continent against their will to Puerto Rico and other places, where they were also treated horribly.
Loíza became a home for escaped enslaved people, known as cimarrones, especially those from the Nigerian Yoruba tribe who the Spanish had kidnapped. The cimarrones ran away from Spanish enslavers, hid from the Spanish army in dense mangroves, and formed their own community. Today, Loíza still has one of the largest populations of Black Puerto Ricans and celebrates a rich history of dance and music (such as bomba and plena), food, and fiestas patronales—special celebrations commemorating saints from the Catholic faith brought by the Spanish, since they did not allow enslaved people to celebrate their own faiths. Loízan and Puerto Rican culture include countless traditions inherited from these African ancestors.
In 1898, when Melchor Clemente was fifteen years old, the Spanish left Puerto Rico, and the United States of America took over control.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN PUERTO RICO
On March 22, 1873, leaders of the Puerto Rican abolitionist movement won a long battle against slavery on the archipelago. The Spanish National Assembly had finally abolished slavery, ending nearly four hundred years of the practice in Puerto Rico.
Slavery came with the Spanish colonizers in the sixteenth century shortly after they arrived on the shores of Puerto Rico in 1493. The Spaniards first enslaved the indigenous Taino people to work in their mines searching for gold, but it wasn’t until the first half of the nineteenth century that the archipelago saw a substantial increase in its enslaved population, including people forcibly brought from their homes in Africa. In 1815, Spain sought to create a profitable export economy in its colony by opening Puerto Rican ports to foreign trade and encouraging immigration. Foreign planters arrived and imported forced labor from neighboring islands and Africa to work their fields, especially sugarcane. Demand for sugar in the United States was growing, and planters used forced labor to increase their profits. By 1841 Puerto Rico had forty-one thousand enslaved people, up from seventeen thousand in 1812.
Over the years, enslaved people led many revolts and joined the first major revolt against Spanish colonial rule, called the Grito de Lares (“Cry of Lares”) for the town where the uprising took place. Although slavery was abolished in 1873, Puerto Ricans continued to revolt against colonial rule, even after Spain conceded the territory of Puerto Rico to the United States during the Spanish-American War peace treaty negotiations in 1898.
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker was born to Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker in Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934, during the Great Depression (1929–1939). At the time, there was great poverty and challenges across the United States and its territories, but Melchor and Luisa always made sure their seven children had basic necessities. They collected drinking water in a container on their kitchen roof, and the children always had food. Their family did not have a lot, but they had each other and felt they had enough. Roberto was the youngest of the seven children in the close-knit family. His parents worked hard, put their family first, and always served their communities. As an adult, Roberto later said, “We used to get together at night, and we would sit down and make jokes and eat whatever we have to eat. And this was something wonderful to me.”
Roberto was very close to his brothers and sisters, but their bond could not protect him from the many losses he would suffer during his life.
Roberto encountered tragedy very early on. When he was still a baby, his older sister Anairis was playing outside their house near a large open fire that their mother used to cook for sugarcane workers. Anairis’s dress caught on fire, and a few days later she passed away at a nearby hospital. Roberto may not have remembered his sister, but she was a constant presence in his life. He would say, “I can feel Anairis at my side.”
As he grew, Roberto proved to be a bright, curious child. He wanted to know how things worked and why. He took time and care to do things his way. When his family interrupted him, he would often respond with “momentito, momentito.” Just a moment, wait a moment. One of his older cousins started calling him “Momen,” and the nickname stuck. Even though Roberto took his time, he was anything but slow. He played outside all day long, running and getting faster and stronger every day. He was so strong and fast that when he was twelve, he ran across a highway in Carolina and pulled a fully grown man to safety from a burning car.
In his short life, Roberto grew from a strong, passionate kid into an adult who taught others about the power of perseverance and the importance of respect, and that true leadership comes from caring for others. He inspired people to dream of possibilities beyond what they had ever known and to achieve those dreams honorably.
CHAPTER TWOAN UNDENIABLE TALENT
“Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw a guy out in Pennsylvania.”
—Vin Scully, baseball announcer
As a kid, Roberto was like many of us. He went to school; he spent time with his family and friends. In his downtime, he liked to read magazines and watch movies, and he loved to play games. No one could have known that the Puerto Rican kid asking for a momentito would one day be one of the greatest baseball players to ever live. Or that the shy kid who tried not to call attention to himself would one day have entire schools, stadiums, and awards named after him.
Before he played baseball in the major leagues, with access to the world’s best bats and balls and players, Roberto played with any bat and ball he could get his hands on. He loved the sport so much, he would practice with any equipment he could find, and could turn anything into a game of baseball. He used guava branches and broomsticks as bats. He made homemade balls out of paper or rubber (much like the Taínos) and used tennis balls or any other balls he could find. He sometimes even used bottle caps instead of balls, which helped him develop his incredible aim and coordination. When he wasn’t playing, he’d be thinking about playing. One time, as a punishment, his mother tried to burn his bat, but luckily the bat survived and Roberto kept playing. His big hands and strong body were helpful in becoming good at baseball, but his dedication is ultimately what made him so great.
By the time Roberto was born, Puerto Rico no longer formally had enslavement, and the people who ran the government thought all of Puerto Rico and its Black, brown, and white people were treated the same. In reality, lighter-skinned Puerto Ricans (then and now) had more wealth and more opportunities than darker-skinned Puerto Ricans, much like white and Black people in the mainland United States. But in Puerto Rico, many Puerto Ricans like to pretend this is not a problem. When Roberto’s mother, Luisa, was pregnant with Roberto, his older sister Anairis was excited to have a new baby sibling. But she hoped he would be born white. When he was born, Anairis said, “Here he is—a little dark.”
DESCENDED FROM LIBERTOS
The first Black people arrived in Puerto Rico as libertos, “free men,” with the Spaniards, and throughout the centuries of slavery, libertos outnumbered the enslaved population in the archipelago. Their numbers grew as the Spanish monarchy had issued a Royal Decree of Graces, which established new rules for the slave trade in Spanish colonies, adding restrictions to the granting of freedom to enslaved people. That same year, a new slave code was introduced, under which enslaved people could buy their freedom, or that of their children, if an owner was willing to sell it to them. By the mid-1800s free Black people made up more than 40 percent of Puerto Rico’s population. Many who were able to buy their freedom, called “freedmen,” started settlements in the towns of Santurce, Carolina, Canóvanas, Loíza, and Luquillo, where they worked as tradespeople. Some became slave owners themselves. Long after slavery was abolished, these towns would remain segregated.
Today, many in Puerto Rico say they are racially mixed, and some don’t feel the need to identify as being from any specific race. Even so, colorism and racism are often hidden within the archipelago’s culture, classifying people by the shade of their skin and giving privilege to affluent communities that present as being predominantly white.
When Roberto was growing up, one of his older brothers, Justino (whose nickname was “Matino”), played in a top amateur baseball league in Puerto Rico. At the time, professional baseball in the United States was still segregated. This meant that white people did not allow Black players like Matino to play in the league just because of the color of their skin, no matter how talented they were. Matino was Roberto’s first baseball teacher and helped spark his passion for the game. Later, when Roberto had proven himself to be one of the greatest baseball players to ever live, he would insist that his brother Matino was the best baseball player in the family.
During Roberto’s childhood, Black baseball players in the mainland United States established the Negro League to counter the professional league’s racist practices. Many of the league’s best players traveled to Puerto Rico to play for teams like the San Juan Senadores (Senators) and the Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers) in the Puerto Rican winter league. The Puerto Rican professional baseball league, also known as the winter league, was founded in 1938 with six island teams. Over time, the league became known for hosting up-and-coming players. It is credited for launching the careers of several major league talents, including many Negro League players. The league also allowed current Major League players to train and stay fresh. Some of baseball’s greatest players spent their off-season in Puerto Rico playing ball.
During the winter league, Puerto Rican children like Roberto had the chance to watch some of the greatest baseball players in the world. And much like other children in Puerto Rico, he idolized players in the Puerto Rican winter league and went to any game he could. He would ride the bus from Carolina, when his parents could afford the extra twenty-five cents for the bus fare and game ticket. One player in particular stood out for Roberto as a superstar: Monte Irvin.
Monford Merrill “Monte” Irving was a Black player from the Negro League who had been unfairly denied a place in the major league. Born in Alabama, Monte had grown up in New Jersey and played several varsity sports, including football and track and field. After he was recruited by Negro League baseball teams in college, he played left field for the Newark Eagles in the regular season and the San Juan Senadores in the winter season.
Roberto would do anything to see his idol, Monte Irvin, play. He later said, “I never had enough nerve, I didn’t want to even look at him straight in the face … But when he passed by I would turn around and look at him because I idolized him.” When he could not afford to buy a ticket, he and his friends would find ways to get in for free. Monte and other players would let Roberto and his friends carry their bags to get onto the field. Eventually, Roberto and Monte became friends, despite Roberto’s shyness. Monte would make sure Roberto got into the games and once gifted Roberto his own ball and glove.
NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL
Black Americans have been playing baseball since the late 1800s, but racism and segregation had forced them off white professional teams by 1900. So Black players formed their own teams, traveling from place to place, playing with anyone who was willing.
In 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri, a few owners of these independent teams in the Midwest joined hands to organize the Negro National League under the guidance of former Black pitcher Andrew “Rube” Foster, the owner of the Chicago American Giants. Soon, other team owners organized Negro leagues in the South and East. Organized Black baseball eventually spread to Canada and Latin America.
In the Negro leagues, baseball players of color were able to maintain a high level of professional skill, showing that they could play on even terms with white teams, and even contributed to the economic development of Black communities. Black baseball remained popular until 1947, when Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Monte later said he liked playing in Puerto Rico more than the mainland United States for many reasons, including that he was treated much better than on the mainland, where segregation was still the law of the land. In Puerto Rico, he and other players were treated like celebrities, offered home-cooked meals and other gifts by their fans.
When Roberto was about thirteen years old, the Montreal Royals called up Jackie Robinson—a Black baseball player—to play in the major leagues. This was the beginning of the end of segregation in baseball, though racism among the audience and other players was still rampant. Two years later, Monte Irvin was also called to the major leagues to play for the New York Giants. These were important moments for Roberto, who lived and breathed baseball, but whose own older brother had been denied a chance to play on the mainland because of the color of his skin. Jackie’s and Monte’s successes allowed Roberto and other young Black Puerto Rican boys the chance to dream that they could also play baseball in the big leagues.
Roberto was shy in high school, often sitting quietly in the back of the classroom. He was smart and curious, as he had always been, but he was not loud about who he was. At fourteen, Roberto was chosen to play in a men’s amateur softball league named Sello Rojo (Red Seal) after their sponsor, the Sello Rojo rice packaging company. At sixteen, he started playing with the local professional team from Juncos.
In 1952, when he was just eighteen years old, the Cangrejeros de Santurce, one of Puerto Rico’s winter league teams, signed Roberto to play professional baseball, offering to pay him $40 a week. Roberto was still in high school at the time and had to switch schools because his former school would not let him play.
The Cangrejeros won the Puerto Rican championship that year, and word started to spread about Roberto Clemente, the team’s new talented young player.
Melchor would watch his son proudly from the stands, but he did not know the basics of baseball or understand the purpose of the game. Often people who have to work so hard to survive do not have time for anything else, as was the case for Melchor. He felt sorry for his son for having to run around the bases after hitting the ball, while other hitters got to sit back down at the bench after striking out.
During this time, even though Roberto was playing baseball every day, he somehow made time to explore sports beyond baseball. Much like Monte Irvin, Roberto threw the javelin and ran in track-and-field events at his high school. His powerful left arm and explosive speed began to develop during this time, so much so that people thought he could compete with the Puerto Rican Olympic team. Playing track and field helped Roberto develop his baseball game—it made him stronger, faster, and nimbler. Roberto said that his strong throwing arm developed in part from throwing the javelin in high school but that he truly inherited his strength from his mother. As an adult, he later said, “My mother has the same kind of an arm, even today at seventy-four.” While it’s true that Roberto’s build made it possible for him to practice a variety of sports, it was his drive to work harder and practice more than anyone else that made him one of the most powerful baseball players to ever live.
PUERTO RICO’S NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Although Puerto Rico is part of the United States as its territory, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognizes Puerto Rico as being separate from the US, and in January 1948, the IOC allowed the archipelago’s team to compete in the Olympic Games for the first time. Since then, Puerto Rican athletes have been able to compete in Summer and Winter Olympics.
* * *
In Puerto Rico, Roberto played with professional baseball players from the mainland, including both Black and white players. Even though Puerto Rico was more welcoming to Black players like Monte Irvin, its problems with colorism continued. Roberto was not immune to them, even in his personal life. As a young teenager, Roberto had a girlfriend who broke up with him simply because her family thought he was too dark.
When Roberto began playing professional baseball with the Cangrejeros, word got around about a kid playing baseball who scouts “had to look out for.” One player said, “If you could cut it in Puerto Rico, you could be in the big leagues within a year.” Just a little over a year after Roberto signed with the Cangrejeros, this proved to be true for him as well.
Puerto Rico’s baseball league was a source of new talent for baseball scouts from many Major League teams. In November 1952 the Brooklyn Dodgers held tryouts in Puerto Rico. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the same team that had desegregated big-league baseball by signing Jackie Robinson just five years before.
JACKIE ROBINSON BREAKS THE “COLOR LINE”
It’s April 15, 1947, a beautiful day for baseball, and the Brooklyn Dodgers are set to play the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. The Dodgers run
out of the dugout and take the field. It’s a moment that, on the surface, looks like every other opening day in baseball history. But it changed the game and the world.
At first base stood twenty-eight-year-old Jackie Robinson. Up until this game in 1947, Black players had not been allowed to play in the Major League. Jackie Robinson changed all that and broke the baseball “color line,” ushering in a new era, not just in the sport but in a burgeoning civil rights movement that would come to a head twenty years later.
Three months after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, more Black players began playing Major League Baseball, namely Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians and Hank Thompson and Willard Brown of the St. Louis Browns. (Called Ese Hombre in Puerto Rico, Willard Brown won the Triple Crown in the Puerto Rican winter league twice, leading the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.) These men paved the way for talented athletes from all different backgrounds for many generations.
Copyright © 2022 by We Are All Human Foundation
