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Introduction (02:45)
A biography of baseball's first Latino superstar, Roberto Clemente.
Growing Up In Puerto Rico (04:40)
Shy, pensive, and intelligent, Roberto Clemente is the youngest of a sugar cane foreman's seven children and an outstanding athlete. He dreams of a future in baseball.
Lone Latino Player (10:55)
In the U.S. in the late Fifties, Clemente encounters segregation and isolation. He has difficult relations with Pittsburgh's hard-bitten press, who misunderstand him.
The 1960 World Series (06:30)
By 1960 Clemente is a rising star. The underdog Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series. A hero in Puerto Rico, Clemente feels slighted when he is not named MVP.
Something to Prove (03:50)
In 1961 Clemente lifts his game to a new level. As more Latino players come into the league, he becomes a role model.
In a Hurry to Settle Down (03:40)
Puerto Rico worships handsome, famous, single Clemente. He marries a young woman from his hometown and starts a family. He fears he might die young.
Invincible (08:56)
As baseball becomes more multiracial, Clemente embraces the civil rights movement. He dominates the 1971 World Series, leading the Pirates to victory.
A Passion for Helping Others (07:27)
In the off season, Clemente pursues philanthropic plans. His life is abruptly cut short in a plane crash as he flies to the aid of Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
Clemente's Legacy (02:22)
Clemente is remembered as a humanitarian and an inspiration to others.
More About the Program ROBERTO CLEMENTE
Roberto Clemente, 1960.Courtesy of Duane Rieder Collection
On New Year's Eve 1972, Roberto Clemente, a thirty-seven-year-old baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, boarded a DC-7 loaded with relief supplies for earthquake victims in Managua, Nicaragua. A native of Puerto Rico, Clemente had established a special relief fund for his devastated neighbors. Shortly after takeoff the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, a mile off the Puerto Rican coast. Clemente's body was never found.
Roberto Clemente's untimely death brought an end to a spectacular career. In his eighteen seasons with the Pirates, he led the team to two World Series championships, won four National League batting titles, received the Most Valuable Player award, and earned twelve Gold Gloves. In his final turn at bat for the 1972 season, Clemente made his 3,000th career hit -- an achievement that had been reached by only ten major league players before him.
Clemente's talent and inimitable style drew legions of fans, but as this American Experience production reveals, he was more than an exceptional baseball player. He was also a committed humanitarian who challenged racial discrimination and worked for social justice. Through interviews with relatives, childhood friends, former teammates and journalists, this biography will tell the inspiring and tragic story of Roberto Clemente, focusing on him as both an athlete and a man, whose career sheds light on larger issues of immigration, civil rights and cultural change.
Introduction
A summary description of the program.
Transcript
The program transcript.
Acknowledgements
Program interviewees and consultants.
Credits
Television and Web production teams.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is closed captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers by The Caption Center at WGBH.
A special narration track is added to the series by Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®), a service of WGBH to provide access to people who are blind or visually impaired. The DVS narration is available on the SAP channel of stereo TVs and VCRs.
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