Roberto Clemente 1968 Timeline

This is the 1968 installment in a chronology of memorable moments in the professional career of Roberto Clemente.

__ April 10 __ Opening Day 'Optical Illusion' Goes For Naught

Just another day at the office for RC as he provides one of those trademark moments when, as Frank Robinson recalls, "You’d watch him and find yourself saying to the guy next to you, ‘Did you see that?" Unfortunately, the distinguished law firm of Bunning, Pizarro and Kline will combine to piss away Pittsburgh's 4-2 advantage in the final frame, thus, in a situation all too typical of his career, leaving Clemente's magical moment (to say nothing of his 3rd-inning tie-breaking HR) somewhat adrift:

"Rookie Hal King couldn’t believe Roberto Clemente caught his long fly down the right field line for the third out in the second inning. King had just turned second base when he heard the crowd groan and saw the Pirates running off the field. He stopped, gave a bewildered look and kept glancing down the right field line to see how it was possible."

__ April 13 __ Mays vs. Momen: Mays Plays with Fire, Gets Burned

Looking back on his career some 30 years later, Mays will recall being gunned down going first to third exactly once:

"Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had."

If Willie's memory serves, then this indeed is that play:

"Willie Mays, leading off the seventh, lined a single into left for the Giants’ first hit. When Willie McCovey, the next hitter, bounced a single over Donn Clendenon’s outstretched glove into right field, it appeared the dam had been broken and runs would flow." "Then came the key play of the game. Mays rounded second base and slowed down to draw a throw from right fielder Roberto Clemente." "Mays, either overestimating his own speed or underestimating the power and accuracy of Clemente’s arm, was thrown out trying to reach third. Maury Wills tagged him as he slid by." "'I wasn’t going to throw to third base,” Clemente said. “But then I saw Mays slow down and look back. The play was to second base because McCovey was the tying run. But I threw to third because I knew I had a chance to get Mays.'"

__ April 14 __ Robby Robs Ron of His Game-Tying Two-Run Blast

RC seems determined to fill up 1968's right field highlight reel before Bucs' home opener. This time, Bunning holds up his end:

"Fairly gave the 27,136 Dodgers fans a thrill when he lifted a long fly down the right field line in the first inning and for a moment it appeared headed into the seats. But Clemente timed his leap perfectly and came down with the ball in his glove. From the nearby bullpen, Ron Kline and Roy Face thought it might have been a home run. ‘I think the ball might have gone into the seats against nine other right fielders in the league,’ Kline added.”

__ April 21 __ Forbes Field Follies: 450-Foot Triple, 250-Foot HR

“His third-inning triple landed on top of the batting cage at the 457-foot sign on the center field wall, a tremendous blast..."

For Les Biederman, the man responsible for that description, this 450-foot batting cage bomb must harken back to Clemente's similarly obstructed first MLB home run, just over 13 years ago. But getting back to the present, centerfielder Ty Cline combines with shortstop Hal Lanier and catcher Bob Barton to nip Clemente at the plate. The very next inning, however, fate will not be denied in its attempt to award RC an IPHR:

“He hit a ‘single’ to right-center off Lindy McDaniel but as Cline set himself, the ball took a big bounce over his head and rolled to the wall. Clemente circled the bases standing up..."

Here's Clemente, on his failed long ball bid:

“With nobody out, I didn't want to take a chance. When I turned second base and saw Grammas give me the green light, I kept going. It had to be a perfect relay to get me."

What a difference almost 12 years makes. Contrast this scene with the closing seconds of that long-ago July 25th contest: the grizzled veteran of 1968 vs. the reckless young colt stampeding through manager/third-base coach Bobby Bragan's stop sign to win the game – as Lloyd McGowan had put it exactly two years earlier, also vis-a-vis RC – "Hollywood-style."

__ May 08 __ Sick Guy's Sac Fly Beats Braves in Fourteen Frames

“Roberto Clemente, who, in the words of his own manager 'probably shouldn't even be playing,' became the man of the hour – a very late hour – when his bat and Maury Wills' leg got Pittsburgh a 4-3 win over the Braves in 14 innings. Clemente, who started the game on the bench, has been bothered all season by a sore right shoulder.” "The Pirates won it in the 14th although they collected only an infield hit off Upshaw...With Clemente at bat, Wills stole third on Bob Tillman. A moment later, Clemente lifted a sacrifice fly to Hank Aaron."

__ May 16 __ Down to .210, RC Starting to Show Signs of Life

"Clemente, batting only .210 at game time, lined his triple off the right field screen after Matty Alou and Maury Wills had singled.” “Clemente was robbed of another base hit when Curt Flood made a remarkable running catch near the centerfield part of the right field stands.”

__ May 26 __ 400-Plus-Ft. Footnote Thanks to Porous Pitt Pen

This particular example of a Momen moonshot big in both senses of the word – tape-measure 3-run blast putting Pittsburgh up by one – goes for naught. Cincy gets that run back the next inning and, though Clemente will once again drive in the go-ahead run in the following inning, that run will be washed away when the game is stopped and ultimately called because of rain. While the individual stats stand, the game will be replayed in its entirety. Clemente's provisional heroics are recorded in the pages of the Pittsburgh Press:

“He hit a titanic three-run homer (No. 5), far over the left-field screen, to give the Pirates a temporary 8-7 lead in the sixth inning and climax a six-run rally... ‘It was the hardest I’ve hit a ball this year,’ he confessed. It was also his first home run to left field this season.”

__ Jun 11 __ Clemente Conquers Candlestick Crosswind #4

Air Clemente’s Final Flight Into Candlestick’s Left Field Bleachers

“Clemente’s line drive homer (No. 8) over the left-field fence into the teeth of a strong wind tied the score…”

The foregoing account by Les Biederman certainly makes explicit the 'crosswind conquest' aspect while Bob Stevens, who – when it comes to Candlestick – presumably knows whereof he speaks, really puts this blast into context:

“Clemente led off with a horrible-looking drive far into the left-field stands – one of the longest ever hit in that spot.”

__ Jun 13 __ Mays vs. Momen: Latter Foils Former's Big HR Bid

Robby's "Fine and Brave" Robbery of Willie Draws Standing O From SF Fans

With Pirate pitching having already coughed up a 2-run lead in the inning and about to make it a 3-run deficit, the cavalry—aka Roberto Clemente—comes galloping to the rescue:

“With men on second and third in the sixth and the the score 5-5, Willie Mays smashed a searing low line drive into right field that seemed destined to leave the park..."

As has happened before and will happen again in cities across America, the crime that is about to be perpetrated by Pittsburgh's serial offender will be met—after only the most perfunctory 'moment of silence'—with thunderous applause from the very victims themselves, as, once again, customary tribal allegiances—whether those of beat writer or bleacher creature—prove no match for RC's Reiser -esque highlight-reel moment. This account, authored by longtime Chronicle reporter Bob Stevens, both describes and embodies this phenomenon:

"But the amazing Roberto Clemente leaped, glove above the railing, crashed into the wire fence and came down with the ball, as 6,028 fans first groaned in anger, then stood to applaud as fine and brave a catch as an outfielder can make.”

Clemente's clutch catch captured nicely by AP WIREPHOTO.

_ Jun 16 __ 425-Ft Triple to R-CF Gives Bucs Breathing Room

"Clemente’s triple off the right-field exit gate accounted for the last tally [in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 victory over Houston]."

_ July 26 __ RC's Bad Shoulder --> Big Shot to RF

“Clemente, who returned to the lineup after a week’s absence because of a shoulder injury, slammed a solo homer in the sixth to give Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead.”

Bucs blow lead, but triumph in 10 when Jose Pagan makes Cards pay for intentionally passing RC.

_ July 28 __ Ho Hum, Just Another 450-Foot Triple

"Clemente’s triple landed one short hop from the 457-foot sign near the flagpole. It’s an easy homer in every other park, except Yellowstone."

_ July 30 __ "[Yet] An[other] Impossible Catch"

“The Pirates kayoed the Braves twice last night at Forbes Field, 8-5 and 5-4 in 10 innings but the one play that brought the fans up screaming was a Roberto Clemente fielding special. It happened in the third inning of the opener when Steve Blass and Ken Johnson were 0-0. Mike Lum, the Chinese rookie outfielder, was the victim and the memory of the catch remained with the 11,624 fans all evening long.

"Lum hit a shot off Blass that was headed for the right field wall, near the 375-foot-mark. Clemente took off in pursuit and ran as hard and as fast as he could. Just as he approached the wall, Clemente reached up and caught the ball, still with his back to the diamond. He crashed into the wall, bruised his chin and fell down. He was stunned for a second but held the ball. Clemente kept rubbing his chin when the second game ended and indicated he’d jarred himself making the play. Larry Shepard called it fantastic. 'It was an impossible catch,' he added. Gene Alley had a close-up view as he went toward right field just in case. 'As good a catch as I ever saw,' he volunteered.”

_ Sep 14 __ Two Off Seaver: Long and Longer

Things were going smoothly for Seaver his second time through the Pirates' lineup when Clemente drove a pitch deep into the Mets' bullpen in right center to break a scoreless tie in the fourth, but it was his sixth-inning shot that really administered the coup-de-grace. By this time, the game was starting to slip away from the Mets' ace as Pittsburgh had scratched across two more runs in the fifth. By the sixth, however, scratching had given way to gouging and ripping out sizable chunks of flesh. Alou's leadoff double was followed by a blast off Clemente's bat that landed a good 40 to 50 feet beyond the 410-foot-marker in dead center. I can still remember a bit of ooh-ing and ah-ing emanating from ex-Pirate slugger/then-Met broadcaster Ralph Kiner over Clemente's '450-foot shot.' Two doubles later, Seaver's night was done – for Seaver, no doubt, a night to forget, but a treasured memory for the inveterate Clemente fan.