Jul 08 2011 10:28 AM
We had a thread a while back which I can't find (of course, I can't), in which we examined the strange case of this picture, allegedly depicting a humble presentation by our namesake of the ball from Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit.
The problem was that the photo seemingly couldn't actually be what the inscription claimed it was, as we know, because Clemente's 3000th (and last) hit was a double, and Ed Kranepool never played second, and Clemente looks for all the world like he's standing a-first.
Anyhow, we all mostly agreed that, while the photo's claims were shrouded in mystery, it was a cool photo, in some ways moreso because of the conclusion, and that if the price was right, it was a nice thing to have.
I don't know if we ever got to the bottom of the case, but I think I just stumbled upon the answer. Clemente's 3,000th hit wasn't his first 3,000th hit.
| MLB History: Jon Matlack Didn't Know He'd Given Up Roberto Clemente's 3,000 Hit By Harold Friend(Analyst) on July 8, 2011 Roberto Clemente trotted out to his usual spot in right field at Forbes Field to a standing ovation. It was the first inning of the game that 24,193 fans hoped would be the one in which Clemente achieved his 3,000 hit. New York Mets starting pitcher Tom Seaver walked Vic Davalillo to open the Pittsburgh Pirates' half of the first inning. David Cash was then retired on a fly ball to right field, and up came Clemente, who hit a high chopper back to the mound that eluded Seaver. Second baseman Ken Boswell attempted to make the play but he bobbled the ball, allowing Davalillo to reach second and Clemente to reach first. It was immediately ruled an error. Then the confusion began. The error ruling wasn't immediately posted on the scoreboard. Mets first baseman Ed Kranepool thought it was a hit after Clemente beat Boswell's throw. He gave first base coach Don Leppert the baseball. At that point, the scoreboard flashed "error" and the crowd started booing. Clemente failed to hit safely in his next three at-bats. Seaver allowed only two hits, struck out 13, and won his 20th game. The next day, young left-hander Jon Matlack was on the mound for the Mets on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. It didn't seem strange then, but it would be unbelievable today. Only 13,117 fans attended the game, and many weren't aware that they might see history in the making. What is even more unbelievable is that Matlack didn't know that Clemente needed only one more hit to reach 3,000. Speaking to baseball write Tyler Kepner this past June, Matlack said, "I was a 22-year-old rookie that had absolutely no clue this baseball icon was sitting on 2,999 when I went out to pitch that game. None." Do you think the Tampa Bays Rays pitchers know how close Derek Jeter is to his 3,000 hit? Matlack had met Clemente before the 1972 season when he played winter ball in San Juan for the Senadores. One evening, Clemente invited some American players to his home to welcome the players to Puerto Rico. The players were talking baseball in Clemente's trophy room when Clemente picked up one his bats that was in a corner of the room. Young Matlack was awed. He told Kepner, "This bat was leaning in a corner. Somebody asked about hitting, and he picked up the bat to demonstrate. I remember thinking, 'That's a big bat,' and I asked about it, and he said it had the maximum dimensions. He set it back down, and when everybody sort of moved on, I grabbed hold of it. I could barely pick it up. It led me to believe how strong this guy really was." Back to the game. Clemente had faced Matlack six times in his career and was hitless. In the fourth inning, the count on Clemente was two balls and two strikes. Matlack got the signal from Duffy Dyer, nodded assent, and fired a curve ball that was on the outside of the plate. Clemente liked what he saw. He took his long stride into the pitch and pulled it to left center field. It hit the wall as Clemente reached second base with the double that would be his 3,000th and last hit. Matlack had no idea of the significance of the hit. He was concerned that Clemente had doubled leading off the fourth in a scoreless game. When second base umpire Doug Harvey presented the ball to Clemente, Matlack realized what had happened. All that Clemente did in celebration was raise his helmet to the fans in appreciation. Mets shortstop Jim Fregosi described Clemente's reaction. "He was pretty cool about everything he did. That's how he was." Dave Maranis, who wrote Clemente's biography, stated: "After Clemente died, he was martyred in Pittsburgh and everyone said they loved him, but that was not the case when he was alive. He had to overcome a lot in terms of race and language in Pittsburgh, and did not really win the city over completely until he died." There is stark contrast between Clemente's pursuit of hit number 3,000 and Derek Jeter's pursuit of his 3,000th hit. Almost 40 years have passed and the changes in society and values have been enormous. In 1961, 23,154 fans paid their way into Yankee Stadium to see Roger Maris set a new single-season home run record. In 2001 in Houston, 43,734 fans saw Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run. Baseball has always been a business, but no one tried packaging and selling the dirt near second base at Forbes Field or the grass in right field where Clemente stood. The reason is that no one had thought of it. References: Special to the New York Times. "Seaver Subdues Pirates on Two Hits as Clemente Misses 3,000 Hit Mark." New York Times. 30 Sep 1972: 25 Kepner, Tyler. "For Jeter, a chance to stand on a plateau beside Clemente." International Herald Tribune. 13 June 2011. |