This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/27/2010
As Americans, we sometimes need to remind ourselves that although baseball is an integral part of our culture, it is in the grand scheme of life, just a game. We often sit in our neighborhood sports bars arguing and fighting for our heroes in the name of team loyalty, while around the world, others fight famine, war, disease, and natural disasters. Every so often, one of our heroes bridges the gap between the game of baseball and the reality of life, using his celebrity to promote the greater good for humanity. Superstar, humanitarian, angel of mercy … these were the words used to describe the abbreviated life of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente. Clemente was not just the pride of Pittsburgh, he carried upon his broad shoulders the hopes and dreams of a nation! When he took the field, his Puerto Rican countrymen shouted “Arriba,” a native cheer of approval akin to “Hooray!” Clemente grew up in a poor home just outside of San Juan, the youngest of seven children, delivering milk cans to neighborhood homes as a child to help support the family. As he grew older and received the spoils afforded to superstar baseball players in America, he never forgot his humble beginnings and retained a strong desire to help the less fortunate. Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work, and when the Nicaraguan capitol of Managua was devastated by a massive earthquake, Clemente immediately arranged for emergency flights to deliver supplies. However, when the first three flights were diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government, never reaching the victims, Clemente decided to accompany the 4th flight. On December 31st, New Year’s Eve of 1972, Clemente’s flight crashed shortly after takeoff. Gone at the age of 37, he will forever be listed as the final member of baseball’s 3,000 hit club. Proudly presented is simply the finest Roberto Clemente single-signed baseball you will ever see! The stamp on this Spalding Official National League Warren Giles baseball, as well as the baseball itself, looks as if it just left the factory, with deep black print upon a creamy white sphere that boldly reflects light off of its glossy surface. As impressive as that sounds, it’s a distant second to the pristine penning of Clemente’s inscribed signature. Your eyes are not deceiving you, nor is the photograph. A gift for two St. Louis Cardinals batboys, presumably brothers, the signature and inscription, “To Rickey & Bruce, Best Wishes, Roberto Clemente,” is so dark and intense that on a scale of one to ten, it truly rates an 11! Of course, PSA/DNA can only grade up to 10, and that’s exactly what they did, for an overall grade of PSA 9 MINT. There are no superlatives grand enough to fully capture just how spectacular this ball is, though the “Autograph Grade:10” printed on the LOA from Steve Grad and Joe Orlando at PSA/DNA is a good start. A truly incredible piece for the collector that demands nothing but the very best! LOA from PSA/DNA, MikeGutierrez/MGA.