After watching David Altrogge’s Clemente documentary, it’s easy to feel that the sports world has not given him enough credit. In fact, one of the first stories we learn in this documentary is about the Sports Illustrated cover that he was snubbed for. On Sept. 30th, 1972, Roberto Clemente became one of 11 players to hit 3,000 hits. The cover went to then-Jets quarterback Joe Namath, and Clemente’s historic achievement only received one line of acknowledgment. It’s not only the 3,000 hits, the NL MVP, 12-time Golden Glove winner, and two World Series championships with a Pittsburgh Pirates team that was looked upon as a doormat that made this man an icon.
Altrogge seeks to strike a balance to display the selfless and thoughtful person Clemente was outside of baseball. His tragic death in 1972 happened as Clemente was going to Nicaragua to make sure that aid was delivered to citizens personally after a massive earthquake. To pass away at 38 years of age is way too soon, but this is a documentary to remind you it’s what you do with the years you have.
For every accolade he achieved solo, there are the larger ones Clemente led the way for, such as the Pirates having the first starting line-up comprised of Latino and African-American players in 1971. He played with a chip on his shoulder in situations like not getting the MVP award in 1960, but also doubled as someone who would give their shirt off their backs for you.
Clemente strives to walk the line to be a refresher for reverence for the late hall-of-fame right fielder’s achievements that baseball lovers will attach to and everything surrounding it. Stories from his sons Roberto Jr. and Luis, long-time Pirates fan Michael Keaton, and Clemente’s former teammates, such as Manny Sanguillen, Richie Hebner, and Steve Blass.
Altrogge utilizes tandem media’s watercolor-style animation in parts to illustrate the blanks in Clemente’s life that weren’t captured in archival footage to give the viewer a vivid picture of what could have been happening to him at that time. Born in 1934 in Puerto Rico, Clemente grew up in a middle-class family where he was the youngest of seven children. His older sister Anairis passed away in a terrible kitchen accident, and that experience fostered a relationship with Clemente and faith.
There’s a story where he states that Anaris appeared to him in a dream and gave him three coins. The number three would become a marker in his life (he had three sons, played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, and, of course, 3,000 hits). The attachment to culture and family helped him see the bigger picture. For every throw with his cannon arm, there was the moment after winning the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles where Clemente insisted speaking in Spanish first.
After Altrogge gives the broad strokes of his upbringing, Clemente would grow up playing baseball in Puerto Rico and catch the eyes of former Brooklyn Dodgers owner, and then Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey drafting him from Triple-A Montreal. There are parallels between Jackie Robinson and Clemente regarding their experiences with racism within the U.S. There’s a specific instance where Clemente traveled to Fort Myers, Florida, and the paper had the headline “Puerto Rican Hot Dog Arrives To Town.”
The documentary expresses how hard it was for Clemente to play as one of the only Latin players in the MLB and be caught between two worlds. He had darker skin and spoke little English. You could imagine a town like Pittsburgh would not be fond of that combination. His determination on the field of play eventually made him the symbol of that team. The refusal to allow people to detach his heritage paved the way for progression within the zeitgeist of equality for Latin players.
That’s not to say Altrogge’s documentary doesn’t dive into a little bit of fun. Commentators debate whether Clemente was a hypochondriac and his superstitions, like asking to be massaged with goat milk, helped him play better. Then there were the personal stories where Clemente would show up to children’s hospitals to help and getting out of a car to play catch with a young fan.
It’s just the man he was in a documentary that puts him up with the greats like Wille Mays or Babe Ruth. Baseball is experiencing a boom of tremendous Latin players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatís Jr. The game is more exciting when it embraces diversity from different backgrounds and lets go of the need to tie itself to outdated, unwritten rules. To keep progress going, you must embrace past legends, and Clemente explains why that rings true.
