This is a series I have along with some of my baseball experts that talk in a round table discussions about topics that we question as we take historical aspects of the game & if we can change an outcome in history. In my first part of this series in August we took a look at "What If the San Diego Padres Moved After the 1973 Season." I was surprised that 3 comments were made even though Bo corrected himself making 4 comments I still was surprised in how well it was portrayed. In the second part of this series in October we took a look at "What If Dennis Eckersley Didn't Serve up a HR to Kirk Gibson in 1988." So I hope you're ready to change history again.
Today marks the 52nd Anniversary of the passing of a great humanitarian of the game of baseball. He was voted to Copperstown in 1973 posthumously after his tragic death trying to send earthquake aid to Nicaragua victims. He was the 1966 National League's MVP, 1971 World Series MVP, 15 time All-Star player, 12 times he won a Gold Glove with his cannon of a right arm Vladimir Guerrero Sr. Modeled his game after this great player. He was a 4 Time National League Batting Champion, He was a 2 time World Champion for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1960 & 1971) even though he was first signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers & the Pirates were able to steal him as he was going to remain hidden in the Dodgers system. As you can see from the card that shows his complete career batting record but on September 30, 1972 the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh against the New York Mets pitcher Jon Matlack in the bottom of the 4th inning lined a double down the line giving him a total of 3000 hits lifetime I am talking about Roberto Clemente Walker. His famous #21 was retired in 1973 prior to the Pirates home Opening Day game against the St. Louis Cardinals (Pirates won the game 7-5).
Now this topic came to our group in discussion back in 1998 when we were told Topps was going to do a special reprinted insert much like it did in the last 2 years of Mickey Mantle back in 1996 & 1997 & Willie Mays in 1997. We discussed what would happened had Roberto's plane hadn't crashed what events do we see unfold in Clemente's career did he stay in Pittsburgh or did he move on. I will share with you our insights & I like to have my readers again take a moment cause there again no right or wrong answer to the question I am asking. Just do you agree with the round table or maybe you have a different look at what might occurred again this is your chance to change the outcome.
The group said the Pirates in the winter meetings were getting calls for Roberto's services if he like to extend his career in the American League unforunately the Pirates waited for the right offer to convince them to trade Roberto. Then Pirates brass had 2 offers from 2 different American League suitors the first was from no surprise newly new owner of the New York Yankees George Steinbrenner who was willing to trade Bobby Murcer,Roy White & Rick Dempsey for Roberto & Manny Sanguillen Dave Parker. The other suitor was from the Singing cowboy Mr Gene Autry & the California Angels they offered Leroy Stanton,Bobby Valentine & Mickey Rivers along with a cash sum of $500,000.00 for Roberto & Jackie Hernandez then in a different deal Autry was going to trade Frank Robinson to Cleveland so they could make him 2 years earlier the teams new manager. So the Pirates approached Roberto with the choices. Roberto selected that he preferred warmer weather over New York cause he felt with warmer weather similar to his homeland of Puerto Rico. He played in about 154 of the Angels games that year as DH putting up an average of .278 hitting 19 HRs 90 RBIs giving him a total of 3,103 hits then he played the 1974 season playing only in 45 games struggling hitting a .220 with 3 HRs ending with 3,120 career hits with the last one coming off in Detroit off of Lerrin LaGrow in a 5-3 lost to the Tigers on June 9th then he quietly went back to Puerto Rico to enjoy retirement.
Then in a few days after Game 7 of the 1975 World Series Danny Murtaugh the Pirates Manager talked about his successor so he talked to the Pirate Brass & said how about bringing back Roberto as a bench coach then for the 1976 season make him Manager. Unforunately Danny suffered a stroke & died before the Brass made their choice they later made a trade with Oakland in trading Sanguillen for Chuck Tanner. Chuck thought having Roberto as a bench coach wasn't a bad idea so they asked him he stayed as bench coach until the 1981 Season when he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the 1st ballot his jersey was retired the same day Willie Stargell retired from the game in 1982. Roberto lived for another 25 years before passing away in his sleep.
Now my readers I leave you with my famous quote from Rogers Hornsby who was asked what he thought about signing Autographs for kids "Any ballplayer who doesn't signs autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."
That Yankee trade is pretty wild. Yankee fans would have hated at the time, but Parker and a couple of years of Clemente would turn out to be worth fan favorites Murcer and White. I guess Sanguillen was supposed to back up Munson?
ReplyDeleteRivers to the Pirates means he doesn't get traded to the Yankees. He probably would have done very well on the turf in Pittsburgh though.
I don't see Clemente taking a coach job. I think he more likely would have returned to Puerto Rico where he would have been highly influential in the local scene in baseball, and maybe beyond.
I've always been a fan of the "what if" game. My buddies and I would play it on long road trips back in college. Marvel even has a show dedicated to it on Disney +. As for Clemente... I like the idea that Bo brought up. I feel like he would have went back to Puerto Rico and given back to his country in one way or another.
ReplyDeleteThat trade is wild, but I could see it happening.
ReplyDeleteI feel like he would’ve stayed with the Pirates, played out a few more years, declined some, and hung it up in 1976 at the end of the year. He would be seen at his HOF induction in 1981, but would have largely been out of the baseball eye, raising a family in PR, helping out the community, and teaching the game to local kids. One of the local kids would be his son, Roberto, Jr., who would have been drafted by the Pirates in ‘85. He would make it to the club in 1989 as a speedy outfielder, giving the Pirates an OF of Bonds, Van Slyke, and Clemente Jr. The trio would help the club win the 1992 NLCS, but lose the World Series. With the success in 1992, Bonds resigns with Pittsburgh, and the club beats the Chicago White Sox in the 1993 World Series, and goes on a string of success, and the owners see this and spend money, and the club is the equivalent of the Cardinals since 1996 or so.